Infinite Stratos: Lightning Blaze
by J053D4N13L35C083D0
Summary: In the summer after the Silver Gospel Incident, Ichika and the gang return to the academy to start their second year. However, two IS pilots have been found, both being male. Follow Dante and Fiero Caruso as they go through the second year without being killed by the vast amount of women, Chifuyu Orimura's book, or plain exhaustion. Rating set to change.
1. Chapter 1

_**Infinite Stratos**_

_**Lightning Blaze**_

_**Chapter 1: The Arrival**_

"Ichika!" shouted a young woman of 15, her big ponytail bouncing, as she ran to her friend.

"Houki?" asked Ichika Orimura, alarmed by his friend's shout before being pulled into a hug.

"How have you been?" Houki Shinonono asked him.

"Good, but my job was hard," replied Ichika while stretching.

"Did you hear the news"? asked Houki, ignoring his reply.

"Does it involve another male IS pilot found?"

The IS , short for Infinite Stratos, is a powerful exoskeleton initially designed for space travel, but was then redesigned as a war machine. Due to a glitch, the IS are only compatible with women. Ichika was the only exception.

"How did you know that?"

"Newspapers. The girls also regularly update me on what's going on." At this, Houki's smile faltered a bit, but Ichika dismissed it.

"Did you know that he has a twin brother who was able to do the same thing?"

Ichika's face was nothing more than surprised. Before he could ask Houki to explain, they heard a chorus of girls saying, "ICHIKA!"

Ichika and Houki turned to see four girls running at them at near high speed. Ichika barely drew a breath before he was tackled into a hug by the four girls. Ichika was barely able to breathe with the amount of girls hugging him, not so much as not being able to move a finger. He managed to turn his head, which ended up with him trying to spit silver hair out of his mouth.

"How are you doing, my husband?" asked Laura Bodewig. From the sound of it, she is now well versed in titles and such.

The other three, Charlotte Dunois, Cecilia Alcott and Lingyin Huang were silent, merely hugging him tighter until Ichika began gasping for breath. They peeled off him and waited for Ichika to talk.

"Fine, thank you," Ichika said while getting his breath back. Laura blushed a bit while the girls were glaring daggers at her.

Houki checked the time at the train station and saw the next train ride. "Guys, the train is leaving in five minutes."

While they were getting on the train, Ichika noticed something. Two young men were getting on the same train not far from him. Ichika looked at where the train was going, and noticed that the sign said 'Infinite Stratos Academy'. Before he could put two-and-two together, he was suddenly dragged on the train by Houki.

The ride to the academy was relatively quiet, with the only noise being the snacks that Charlotte brought. The silence was broken when there was a knock on the door. Ichika opened the door to see the two men that Ichika saw earlier. He noticed that the two had similar facial features, dark hair, gold eyes and a small scar on the lip. One of them wore a hooded jacket, so he wasn't able to see more of his features. The other, however, was smirking as he realized that Ichika was the only guy in a cabin full of women.

"Hello," said Ichika, wary of the two.

The hoodless one laughed a bit and said," No need to be wary of us, we won't bite." He turned to his brother." At least, I don't."

The hooded one responded by hitting his brother on the head. "I'm not the one who scared your last girlfriend away."

At this remark, the girls looked at the two, more focused now. Curious, Cecilia asked, "You do realize this train is headed for the IS Academy, right?"

"Yes, we do," answered the hooded one.

This got everyone confused, as the academy was full of women who could pilot an IS, barring Ichika, who was the only male that could.

Lingyin was about to ask them a question when the train slowed to a halt, which made the boys go back to get their stuff before Lingyin could ask them for their names.

Five minutes later, the six of them were heading to the main building, and looked at the class roster. To their delight, all of them were in the same class this year. Ichika noticed two names that were foreign to him, but once again, before he could investigate it, he was dragged along by the girls to Maya Yamada's class. They picked out seats, with the girls obviously sitting next to Ichika. When everyone was seated, Miss Yamada began," Welcome back students, I hope you enjoyed your summer vacation." She paused to allow the students to voice their confirmation, before continuing on," Today, we have two new students joining us today. They are twins, if you are wondering. Miss Orimura, can you please bring them in?"

Miss Chifuyu Orimura opened the door to let the two in. The first one to enter was the hoodless man, wearing his apparent trademark smirk. His uniform was rolled up to his elbows, and the red stripes were blue. His brother soon entered, wearing his hood again. Ichika noticed that this hood was stitched to his uniform, and had a red sash in place of the belt, letting it trail behind him. The hoodless one began first," Hello ladies, my name is Fiero Caruso, nice to meet you all."

Some of the girls sighed in admiration when he talked. With prompting from Fiero, Chifuyu and Maya, his brother began talking.

"My name is Dante Caruso, good to meet you all."

Ichika could have sworn that the girls who sighed when Fiero talked have fainted when Dante talked.

Dante continued, "We hope to not be a burden for all of you for letting us enter, but we hope to help you _belle donne _with anything we can."

This time, all the girls fainted.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Infinite Stratos**_

_**Lightning Blaze**_

**Before the chapter begins, I will say a few words.**

**First of all, the main character, despite being twins, is Dante, as I've gotten his design first. Fiero was a suggestion from my 9-year-old brother.**

**Secondly, Dante is an obvious reference to Assassin's Creed, as no one else wears a red sash with a hood other than assassins**

**Third, expect Dante to be in more of my fan-fictions**

**Last of all, this will have some stuff not seen, but then again, I've only been able to see the English version of Infinite Stratos, so expect some weird stuff.**

**And to answer a review, I haven't really thought of Ichika and Houki, as I've been more of a Ichika and Charlotte kind of guy, but there will be a poll to see who Ichika will end up with. Laura won't be able to do it, as she will be paired up with one of the twins.**

**Well, I took some time. Enjoy.**

**_Chapter 2: New Roommates_**

After everyone regained consciousness, the class continued. Dante took the back seat at the left-most corner, while Fiero took the front seat, smiling the entire time. As soon as everyone settled down, Maya began the class.

"Now, bus-slots, as you know, are for Equalizers. Today, you will learn how to properly apply equalizers to your IS."

For the rest of the class, Maya talked about the equalizers, different types of equalizers, and how to properly install them. During the lesson, Fiero took the time to flirt with the women around him, while his brother took notes on the lesson, while also making blueprints for a new weapon.

At the end of class, the two of them began looking for their room. However, fate had a different plan for them.

Walking through the halls, Dante and Fiero were confronted with a horde of women, all asking to go out with them. Undaunted, Fiero used a hologram projector to make holograms of himself, confusing the women. While they were trying to find the real Fiero, Dante ran up the walls above them, effectively running above them. By the time the holograms disappeared, Dante and Fiero were long gone.

It was a few minutes later that the twins found their room, room 1024. Unlocking the door, they saw a double bed room, with a small kitchen, a bathroom and a small balcony. On the wall, they saw a television set, with complimentary remotes. After checking out the room, the twins began unpacking their stuff. Dante took out his wooden practice sword that he had when he was a little kid, and placed it above the TV. Fiero put the radio they always had on the desk between them. When the basic necessities were finished, Dante rolled up his right pants leg and began rubbing a medicine on it, being sure to take off the bandages first. When he was done, he replaced the bandages and rolled the leg down. With everything taken care of, the two began looking for the cafeteria, occasionally confronted by women who ask them various questions. After a while, with many flirts from Fiero, the twins reached the cafeteria. After getting their food (rice and fish for Dante, rice and meat with a bit of wasabi for Fiero), the two began looking for a place to sit. The only open spot was where Ichika, Charlotte, Cecilia, Houki, Laura and Lingyin were sitting. They began to walk towards the table, but a group of women were blocking their way again. Fiero used his holograms again, also making copies of Dante. Making it through, the two began to walk up to the group, and Fiero asked, "Mind if we sit here?"

"No, no, go ahead," said Ichika.

With that, the twins sat down and began to eat. Fiero surprised them all by eating all of the wasabi on his plate, seemingly ignoring the spiciness of it. Everyone was surprised by this, except Dante.

"H-how did you do that?" asked Houki.

"Do what?"

"How did you eat all that wasabi without kneeling over in pain?"

Fiero finished chewing and said, "Easy, just ignore it, and the pain will be but a passing thought."

Charlotte looked uncomfortable, remembering when she did the same thing. Fiero began making conversation with Cecilia, mostly about politics and the royal family. Dante talked with Ichika and Houki.

"So, what room are you Dante?" asked Ichika.

"Room 1024," replied Dante.

"What do you know, I'm in room 1025."

Dante smiled and shook Ichika's hand. "Well then, you are my new roommate."

The rest of lunch passed by in silence, with the usual flirts from Fiero and the constant silence from Dante. When lunch ended, the brothers went to the locker room to change into uniforms. When they left, Ichika turned to the girls and said, "We should give them a welcoming party."

The girls went wide-eyed at this, as they didn't think about a party yet.

Charlotte suddenly said, "I call the food."

Lingyin: "I got the music."

Cecilia: "I got the decorations."

Laura: "I'll get the snacks."

This left Ichika and Houki in charge with getting the twins to room 1025 for the party. They just prayed all would go well.

**_End Chapter 2_**

**The poll I talked about at the beginning of this chapter will be at the end of chapter 3. New chapters will be made in 7 days, so keep an eye out. Disregard the chapter 1 clone, that was an accident. Review if you want, see you in around 7 days.**


	3. Chapter 3

**If you are reading this, you have continued reading my fan fiction, which I thank you for. I had some writers block while writing this, so sorry for making you people wait. This will introduce something not yet seen in the actual series, which are IS AI. If I copied someone, this is by accident, so don't sue me. By this point, I will have seen enough of season 2 to put in more Ichika x (friend) pairing, and so the poll will be at the end of the chapter. The injury on Dante's leg is based on an accident wound I had when I was a kid, and it just recently reopened, so Dante will have a limp for the rest of this fan fiction. In chapter 2, if you expected Fiero to flirt with the girls in the cafeteria and to their dorms, you thought wrong. **

**Well, I took the time. Enjoy.**

**_Chapter 3: The Brawl_**

_"Andiamo Fiero, abbiamo bisogno di andare al campo di allenamento; (_Come on Fiero, we need to head to the training grounds)_," _said Dante as he raced to the main arena. Fiero was taking his sweet time getting there, flirting with as many women as possible, effectively making a harem fit for a king.

_"Gesù, aspetta un attimo; (_Jesus, hold on a moment)," said Fiero, slightly irritated.

"Get your butt over here, or I'll show your fifth-grade picture to everyone."

This made Fiero cringe, as in his picture he had scraggly hair, a white sleeveless shirt, torn pants and terrible acne. "You swore you wouldn't show anyone that," said Fiero.

Dante merely smiled and said,"Try me."

They stared each other down until Fiero relented. "Fine."

They began walking to the arena, unaware that they were being followed by two figures.

"Are you sure this will work Houki?" asked Ichika.

"It has to. I know it will."

"That's what you said when you mixed sake with whiskey."

This made a grimace appear on their faces. After that incident, no one wanted to do truth or dare with Houki ever again.

"That was different, everyone was drunk and you know it," countered Houki.

"Whatever. Let's go find-" Ichika was suddenly cut off as a door opened right in his face, knocking him to the ground. The culprit was a young woman, with sky blue hair, with red eyes behind round glasses.

"S-sorry about that," was all she said before she walked off.

After a while, during which Ichika regained his bearings, the two began looking for the twins, while being followed by the rest of the girls.

"See, I told you nothing would happen," said Cecilia.

"So a door hitting Ichika is nothing to worry about?" asked Lingyin.

"Apparently it isn't, or else Ichika and Houki would be-"

"Hello ladies."

The girls stifled a shriek as they turned to see who had found them. They saw Fiero standing there, smirking once again. On his face, they noticed he had a black eye and a few bruises on his arms.

Charlotte was the first to speak up." What happened to you?"

Fiero smiled and said, "Hand to hand combat training. Dante and I had a small bout just for fun. He won by the way."

"You just left the cafeteria, how did you fight that fast?" asked Cecilia.

"A better question is what you're going to do with all that stuff in those bags, as you also just left the cafeteria," said Fiero.

Laura then started talking,"These are for a par-"was all she got out before her mouth was covered by the girls.

Fiero was confused. "For a what?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing," said the girls in unison.

"Doesn't sound like nothing, the way you're reacting."

"Well it is, so don't worry about it," said Lingyin.

Fiero decided not to follow up on it and left the girls. As soon as he was out of earshot, he sent a message to Dante.

_The girls are up to something. Be careful._

With that done, Fiero began walking to class

**_At a different location_**

Dante got a message from Fiero. He checked and noticed it was from Fiero. Curious, he opened it up.

_The girls are up to something. Be careful._

Dante sighed at this and began remembering the fight that happened between them…

_"Come on Fiero, for old times sake?" asked Dante as he began to warm up._

_"Fine, but if I win, you have to get rid of that picture," said Fiero, also warming up._

_Dante smirked at this. "Idiot, I got rid of that picture long ago."_

_"Oh. Well in that case, you will have to serve me food for the next two weeks."_

_Dante smirked again. "And if I win, you will have to ask the silver-haired girl on a date."_

_Fiero smiled. "Deal."_

_The two shook hands to finalize the deal, and walked back. With a ring, the battle began._

(Heretic Note: if you want, go to YouTube and look for Back to Venice for a battle song. Other choices are good.)

_They charged at each other. When they were close enough, Fiero stuck his arm out, intending to clothesline Dante, but Dante expected this and slid between his legs, confusing Fiero for a second before he turned around. What he didn't expect was a right cross aiming for his chin. He barely missed it, then did a roundhouse kick to Dante. Dante was hit right on his temple, but was still standing. The girls that were watching this fight winced when Dante did an uppercut right in Fiero's ribs, knocking the breath out of him. Dante stepped back, allowing Fiero to breathe. When he did, he did a straight punch to Dante's gut, hitting him but not taking his breath. Dante then began doing a series of kicks that Fiero barely blocked, with a few hitting him. Dante then threw a punch to Fiero, intending to hit him in the forehead, but instead hit him around the eye. Fiero grabbed the hurt area then did an axe kick and did a straight punch. Dante dodged it and grabbed Fiero's fist, using the momentum to spin him around before doing a flying kick to Fiero, knocking him down._

_Dante, panting, asked, "You done?"_

_Fiero, also out of breath, said, "Yep."_

_Dante smirked, helped Fiero up, and said, "Well, a deal is a deal."_

_Fiero said, "Fine."_

Dante smiled when he saw Fiero doing his best to avoid Laura earlier, but his message told him that Fiero met with the girls, but forgot to ask Laura out. With his musing done, he leaped off the Academy Spire into the sparkling blue below him.

**_End Chapter 3_**

**Sorry if the battle was terrible, not really good at making battle scenes.**

**Dante essentially did a leap of faith.**

**Here is the Poll:**

**Charlotte**

**Cecilia**

**Houki**

**Lingyin**

**Tatenashi**

**Kanzashi**


	4. Chapter 4

**The IS AI thing in chapter three was a mistake, I had to rewrite the chapter a few times, but I forgot to update the chapter foreword. The IS names are Lightning King for Dante and Frozen Blaze for Fiero.**

**Well, took less time than I thought. Enjoy.**

**_Chapter 4: The IS_**

It was Friday when the party happened.

Class has ended that day, and since the next day was Saturday, Ichika and the gang decided to do the party on Friday. Ichika and Houki tried to find the twins, but they were always gone after class, with no idea where they are. They heard that the twins were usually sighted near the park, in the library, the cafeteria, or the roof. However, all these reports came in at the same time, so it was impossible to tell where they were at the moment. Things went their way when they met during IS training. Ichika, as per usual, went to the boys locker room to change, when he saw the twins there.

"There you two are," said Ichika as he entered.

Dante looked up. "What were you looking for us for?" he asked.

"The girls wanted me to invite you to a party we'll be having tonight," answered Ichika.

Fiero looked up at this. "Will the silver-haired girl be there?" he asked.

"Laura? Yes, why?" asked Ichika.

Fiero slightly blushed and said, "No reason."

Ichika looked at Fiero for a moment before he began changing. Dante had white training garb, with red stripes running down his arms and legs. Since he wasn't wearing his hood, Ichika was able to see Dante's features for the first time, and noticed he had a scar running above his right eye to across the bridge of his nose. His eyes looked back at Ichika, and said, "What, like what you see?"

Fiero laughed as Ichika slightly blushed and said, "The way he's blushing, most likely he does."

Ichika immediately began talking, "No, no, it's just your scar. I haven't seen anything like it before. And before you say anything, I'm not into that sort of thing."

Dante smiled. "Good, same here."

Fiero began walking outside, his white training garb having blue strips that made a circuitry pattern across his body, with his midriff hidden from view. "Come on ladies, the girls are waiting for us."

When the three of them got outside, they were hit with a screech as the girls saw the twins in their training uniforms, which showed a perfect six-pack on both of them. This went on for a few seconds before Chifuyu silenced them.

"Alright girls, that's enough." She waited a few more seconds before she started talking. "Today we will now be holding training battles during class, while also getting down the advanced methods of IS piloting. Dante, Fiero, step forward please."

The twins complied, walking to a spot next to her.

"Your opponents today will be Ichika Orimura and Charlotte Dunois." The two of them stepped forward when they were called out. Dante looked at the girls and saw the death glare they were giving Charlotte.

_Well, that's interesting,_ noted Dante.

"The four of you will be holding a battle to test yourselves, while also learning about your enemies attack patterns. Get your IS' out." With that, Chifuyu walked away.

Ichika began activating his IS, Byakushiki, while Charlotte activated her Custom Raphael-Revive Custom II. In a matter of seconds, the two of them were ready. With a glance at each other, Dante and Fiero activated their own IS, Dante crossing his arms, his IS gauntlets clicking together, while Fiero did a certain stance, his IS greaves clicking as they moved. In two seconds, the IS activated. When the light went away, everyone gasped.

Fiero was using a Raphael-Revive, which was a Black color with blue markings, but it wasn't the IS that surprised them. No, it was the massive amount of weaponry he had. Two shoulder-mounted gauss cannons, four rocket launchers on his back, wrist-mounted miniguns, grenade firing fingers, knee cannons, and shoe-guns. His hips holstered six particle pistols, with a bandolier going across him. In his hands was a huge sniper rifle, with an under mounted grenade launcher, masterkey attachment, a fore grip, and a flamethrower to the right of the barrel. His arms held four scatter-guns, his legs holding submachine-guns, and his wings themselves were outfitted with guns. Truly, Fiero was ready for war.

Dante's IS, similar to Fiero's, was also heavily armed, his IS being a combination of the Uchigane and the Byakushiki models, white with red markings. On his back, he had four massive great swords, six energy daggers, and two long swords. His elbows were bladed, he had two hilt-mounted swords, five energy daggers on his legs, five on each of his shoulders, clawed fingers, and his IS wings were bladed. He had two swords on his hands, which were serrated, the one on his left white, and the one on his right red. He also had wrist mounted blades, which he kept hidden from view. The final piece was a white helmet covering Dante's eyes, with an uncharacteristic smile on his face, but while his smiles would get others in a good mood, this smile was more akin to a hunter catching its prey, with no way of escape.

"Begin."

Ichika and Dante immediately charged at each other, the sound of ringing steel going throughout the arena. Not far from them, Charlotte and Fiero began doing a gunfight, Charlotte's skill with her submachine-guns on par with Fiero's fast sniping. More than once, she had to move fast in order to not get hit by his masterkey. Down on the ground, Ichika tried a sweeping hit with his weapon, when he hit his mark. However, instead of stopping at the shield, it went through Dante, who kept his smile before disappearing from view. He heard a war cry above him and barely dodged Dante smashing both of his swords on the ground, exactly where Ichika was a moment ago. When he got back up, Dante immediately disappeared from view, suddenly showing up behind Ichika then tried smashing down on Ichika, who, again, barely dodged the blades. Ichika, realizing that Dante was using speed to his advantage, immediately used his ignition boost, and sure enough, he was able to see Dante move as if both were normal speed. With a smile, Ichika charged at Dante.

Up above, Charlotte was having a hard time landing a hit on Fiero. Every time she lands a hit, it turned out to be one of his holograms fading away, with two more taking its place. After a minute, she was surrounded by an army. On a lark, she turned on her thermal vision, and to her luck, she saw the heated form of Fiero in front of her. Charlotte immediately began firing at him, and smiled when she landed a hit. Fiero went back, soon joined by Dante, both of their shields at critical levels. However, what happened next took everyone by surprise.

Dante and Fiero began to glow, black for Fiero, and white for Dante. Fiero suddenly merged with Dante, making one body, while Frozen Blaze connected to Lightning King, heavily modifying it. When the glow ended, the entire area was as silent as a cemetery.

Lightning King stood there, but instead of the white-red design, it also incorporated the black-blue design of Frozen Blaze. The weapons of Frozen Blaze also merged with Lightning King's own weapons, which soon made new wings. In the left hand, Lightning King held a particle cannon, while his right held a blade with a white blade, red cross guard, black hilt, and a blue pommel. The entire blade had an eagle like design. The helmet was also split, with the left half gone.

"This is Lightning Blaze, the combined form of Lightning King and Frozen Blaze. With this, everything is doubled and our shields will be at max. Good luck," said Dante/Fiero.

With a charge, Lightning Blaze began attacking with inhuman speed, sword swipes to Ichika, who barely dodged them, and particle shots to Charlotte, who barely missed being hit by them. In a matter of seconds, their shields were critical, with a cyclone spin taking down the shields. Ichika and Charlotte landed on the ground, Charlotte landing on Ichika, who was unfortunately on the ground. Above them, Lightning Blaze split back to two separate IS, before landing on the ground and being deactivated. The hunter's smile was gone from Dante, leaving his friendly smile behind. Before he could speak, his gauntlets began glowing, before his IS AI came out. His IS AI was a young man of seventeen, with white hair, red eyes, and a pale complexion. He wore a featureless red t-shirt, white hoodie which was unzipped, white jeans, and red shoes.

"Hello King, what brings you out?"

King smirked before answering, "Nothing much but I will require recharging soon."

"Anything else?" asked Dante.

"Nothing I could think of. I will inform you when my energy level is critical." With that, King disappeared.

Not far from them, Fiero was having a similar conversation with his AI. His IS AI avatar was a young woman of sixteen, who had blue hair, black eyes and a fair skin tone. Her clothing was a black short sleeve shirt, which was entirely featureless, wearing a blue jacket that hid her body well. She had on black headphones with a blue skull on them. She wore blue denim jeans and black shoes. Her name was Blaze.

With a quick goodbye, the AI left the area, leaving everyone confused.

"Don't mind them, those were our AI," said Dante.

"AI?" asked Ichika.

This time Fiero answered, "Yes, AI. They allow us to communicate with each other, and in turn, they give a voice of reason when we need it."

Blaze suddenly came back, "You still should've listened to me last month."

Fiero sighed, "Why do you need to torture me with that?"

Blaze smiled, "No reason." With that, Blaze disappeared.

"What happened last month?" asked Ichika, getting up off the ground.

"No need to know that for now," said Dante, having a somber expression on his face.

"Class is over, the rest of the day is yours," cut in Chifuyu, saving the twins from questions.

"Well, I got a shower with my name on it," said Fiero, dusting himself off.

"I'll agree with you there," said Ichika, also dusting himself off.

"See you later," said Dante, walking towards the locker room.

**_End Chapter 4_**

**Longest chapter so far.**

**The poll is still going with a single vote for Houki**

**Houki: 1**

**Cecilia: 0**

**Charlotte: 0**

**Lingyin: 0**

**Tatenashi: 0**

**Kanzashi: 0**

**I'll need more by chapter 6**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow, I am surprised by all the views you people have given me. I didn't think this would be that good, truthfully. Think I went overboard with Fiero and his IS. A quick tidbit about the history of Dante and Fiero: The two of them were mercenaries. Future chapters will be inspired by whatever game I play, so some chapters that are inspired by games will be denoted by level and game. For the poll, I take review or pm, but at the rate they happen, it'll be the end of the story when Ichika is paired with someone.**

**Well, that happened. Enjoy**

**Modern Warfare 3-Stronghold, Blood Brothers**

**_Chapter 5: The Past_**

Dante walked back to his locker, contemplating on what happened the month prior. When he was completely alone, he pulled out a picture out of his wallet, looking at it with sadness.

"Hard to believe their gone," he heard Fiero say.

"I know, and I'm still trying to understand why," said Dante.

On the picture was a group of mercenaries, each holding their preferred weapons: The one on the far right was holding an MK14 rifle with scope and masterkey attachment, with a USP .45 pistol in its holster, the one next to him holding an M4A1 assault rifle, with a holographic sight and an M203 grenade launcher and a Colt M1911 pistol, the one next to him holding an MK46 LGM with fore grip and a RPG-7, and the one on the far left holding an MP5 submachine gun with a RDS and suppresser, a P99 pistol in a holster.

"Yeah, we were one hell of a team," said Fiero, looking at the picture. Everything was tuned out, with the sound of rain coming down and the chatter of soldiers going through their heads.

**_Two months prior to entering the academy_**

_"Deploy parachutes."_

_The sounds of parachutes opening went through the night sky, which was ignored due to the massive deluge going on._

_"Two tangos up ahead."_

_"I got them." After that sentence, suppressed weapon fire went through the air as the two soldiers went down, bullet holes in the head._

_"Nice shot, moving up," said Scope_ (MK14).

_"Careful, hostiles might use thermal or night vision goggles, so stay low," said Shot _(M4A1).

_"Hah, as if Phantom Task can hire decent help," said Dusk _(MP5).

_"Still, we got to keep our distance from them, just in case," said Heavy _(MK46).

_"Cut the chatter ladies, we got a job to do," said Shot, but he was smiling._

_"Alright, Heavy and I will try to reach the other side of the fortress. Try not to get shot while we go," said Dusk, moving forward._

_"Stay out of sight."_

_Scope and Shot began moving forward, using sandbag piles to move forward, occasionally taking down the hired help with combat knives._

_"Bro, what will we do after this?" asked Scope after a while_

_"Well, remember the promise we made when we joined Ghost Storm?" asked Shot._

_"Yeah, where we promised to smoke for our very first time after Phantom Task is taken down," answered Scope._

_"Well, once we finish, we head home and retire."_

_"Retiring at the age of fifteen, hell of a thing," said Scope._

_A few seconds later, the reached an outcropping, and saw the base. However, they noticed something completely wrong._

_"Holy shit," was all that passed through their lips._

_At the base, they saw the uniforms of Ghost Storm, helping Phantom Task soldiers load packages into trucks, saw soldiers of both factions patrolling the area, and saw IS of both organizations patrolling the skies._

_"Heavy, Dusk, are you seeing this?" asked Shot._

_"Every single bit," he heard Heavy say._

_"We proceed as planned, but be careful to not take down our own guys. They may have betrayed us, but we still got to finish the mission."_

_"Shame, we won't do the same for you" was the only warning they got before an explosion threw them to the ground below, knocking them out._

**_One hour later_**

_"Wake up, you piece of trash," said the jailer, who swung a police baton to Shot's head. The pain of it woke him up, but he couldn't do anything due to the fact take he was chained to the wall. Next to him was Scope, who was awake, Heavy, and Dusk. They looked around and noticed they were in a prison cell. They then set their eyes on the jailer and noticed that she was a woman, and had a partially deployed IS._

_"What are you men doing here?" she asked threateningly_

_Dusk, always the smart-ass, merely replied, "To take you women on a date, but our old man gave us guns to protect us from your father."_

_The jailer then hit Dusk in the stomach with her IS, and Shot could have sworn that he heard a bone break, and the sight of Dusk coughing blood didn't help with his theory._

_"I would kill you four right now, but someone wants to see you, for whatever reason," she said._

_"Thank you, that will be all," they heard a man say, and the blood nearly froze when they heard him speak. The man rounded the corner, and their suspicions were confirmed when they saw his face. Standing the, was the commander of Ghost Storm, in his spick-and-span black soldier uniform._

_"Commander, to what do we owe the pleasure to?" asked Shot with gritted teeth._

_"Oh, come now Dante, surely you know what I intend to do, don't you?"_

_"No, we don't. And cut the shit, you gave us callsigns for a reason," said Dante, contempt in his voice._

_"Really? Well, let me tell you something. The world is changing, gentlemen, and you're either with me, or against me. So, what will it be?"_

_The team looked at each other in the eye, before Dante spoke up._

_"Frankly sir, you can go _vai a farti fottere_," he said._

_The commander sighed. "Seems we'll be doing this the hard way then." He turned to the jailer, "Begin the torture process, and don't go easy." With that, he left the room._

_The jailer smiled, "Let's see how long you can endure this," and promptly slammed a cattle prod on Dante's chest, earning screams of pain from him._

**_End Chapter 5_**

**This is the beginning of a two-parter, where the past of the twins will be explained**

**The poll is still going with a vote for Houki, a vote for Kanzashi, and a vote for Tatenashi**

**Houki: 1**

**Cecilia: 0**

**Charlotte: 0**

**Lingyin: 0**

**Tatenashi: 1**

**Kanzashi: 1**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Call of Duty: Black Ops- Vorkuta_**

**_Chapter 6: The Escape_**

**_One month prior to entering the academy_**

_"I told you once, and I'll tell you again. My answer is still no," said Dante, nearly blinded by the massive amount of pain he endured._

_The jailer sighed, "Well, you four are the only people that have gone this long with the torture, and we've run out of things to do."_

_"Good, now let us go."_

_"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. You will stay there until you-"she was cut off by an explosion. We looked to find the source, and then the jailer was suddenly knocked unconscious by a lead pipe hitting her head. When she went down, the four looked at a fellow prisoner._

_"It is time, friends," he said._

_"Time for what?" asked Fiero (Scope)._

_The old man merely smiled. "Time, to escape." He promptly grabbed the keys off the jailer and unlocked the team, who had trouble standing up, due to loss of feeling in the legs. After a minute, the feeling returned to their legs, and so did their determination._

_"What do we do now old man?" asked Dante._

_"Every journey begins with a single step." He held up the keys, showing it to fellow prisoners. "This, is Step One!"_

_The prisoners shouted, "Secure the keys!"_

_"Step Two!"_

_"Ascend from Darkness!"_

_"Three?"_

_"Rain Fire!"_

_"Four?"_

_"Unleash the Horde!"_

_"Five?"_

_"Skewer the winged bastards!"_

_"Six?"_

_"Wield a fist of iron!"_

_"Seven?"_

_"RAISE HELL!" At this step, the prisoners began charging for the exit, taking down a few guards along the way, getting their guns. Dante charged at the guards, using a knife he found on the ground to kill them with ease, while Fiero, Dusk and Heavy used pistols that where on the corpses of the guards, using them with deadly accuracy. After a massive firefight, the team made it to the armory, and looked at the massive amount of weaponry. They began equipping themselves, with Heavy taking an L86 LSW machine gun and an RPG-7, Dusk taking two MP5s and a Beretta M92, Fiero finding an M14 EBR and M1014 shotgun, and Dante getting an AK-47 with a grenade launcher, an old revolver, and a switchblade, which he taped to his wrist._

_"Is that really necessary?" asked Fiero._

_"You never know," answered Dante._

_With that done, the team moved to help the prisoners escape, with Heavy taking an EOD suit off one of the corpses, and began chucking grenades at the guards, not caring that most of them were from Ghost Storm. They were all enemies in his eyes._

_"Step two?" asked Dante._

_"Ascend from darkness," a fellow prisoner answered, picking up a grenade launcher and began firing at the gates, each explosion causing dents in the metal frame, until a final explosion tore it off its hinges. Dante heard 'booms' behind him, and turned to see mortars firing at the soldiers that came through the broken gates._

_"Rain Fire," he whispered to himself._

_The old man, wearing full combat gear, walked up to him and extended his hand._

_"It's time," he said, "You do the honors."_

_Dante began walking to the gates, held his rifle in one hand, and thrust it into the air, yelling, "Four!"_

_"UNLEASH THE HORDE!" he heard the prisoners shout, and they began charging past him, wearing combat gear, shooting at the soldiers that have kept them incarcerated for months. Dante was joined by Fiero, Dusk and Heavy, taking down both Phantom Task and Ghost Storm soldiers alike._

_"Dusk, Heavy, find us something that will help us escape."_

_"I found some little birds in the base. We can use them to escape," said Dusk._

_"Good. Don't get killed," said Dante._

_Dusk merely smiled at this. "When have we ever?"_

_"Good point. Take some prisoners with you."_

_"Good luck guys," said Heavy, before leaving with Dusk._

_"What now, Dante?" asked Fiero._

_"Now," Dante said as he looked at the carnage, "we escape." With that sentence, he charged at the soldiers, using his switchblade and gun to kill the soldiers._

_"Step Five!" he shouted._

_"Skewer the winged bastards, and right on schedule."_

_In the air, many IS appeared, taking down prisoners as if they were butter. This didn't last long, as harpoons suddenly pierced their shields and impaled their pilots, killing them on the spot._

_"Dante!" he heard the old man shout. He turned, and saw the old man waving his arms at him._

_"What is it?" he asked._

_"They have locked down the heavy weapons armory, we can't complete step six," he said._

_"Yes we can." At that moment, a Little Bird appeared, using its miniguns to annihilate the soldiers._

_"We got you covered, go," he heard Heavy say through his radio._

_The old man laughed. "You my friend are truly amazing."_

_"It's one of my quirks."_

_They began charging at the center of the base, where many vehicles were stored._

_"You know old man, I never learned your name," said Dante, between breaths._

_"My name is Viktor Veniamin, a war veteran," he said._

_"Well, it's an honor to fight with a veteran, sir," said Dante, saluting._

_They reached the final gates, which stopped them from entering the main compound._

_"Heavy, Dusk, I need some rockets," said Dante._

_"On it."_

_The gates were suddenly destroyed by a salvo of rockets, which left nothing behind, also taking down some soldiers behind the gates. Dante suddenly heard bullets fly by him, but they were taking down soldiers that tried to kill Dante._

_"Thanks Fiero," he said._

_"No problem," was his answer._

_"We finish this," said Viktor. "Step Seven?"_

_"RAISE HELL!"_

_Prisoners charged at the gates, killing stragglers and going for the vehicles._

_Then it all went to hell._

_Missiles came down, destroying the vehicles, and killing prisoners. A missile hit the Little Bird, and Dante watched in horror as it went down, exploding behind the gates. In seconds, the entire prisoner army was eliminated, Dante, Fiero and Viktor the only ones left. Looking around, they were surrounded by IS pilots, who trained their weapons on them. Ready to resign himself, Dante waited for death's embrace. He heard explosions, but not on him. He opened his eyes, and noticed a colorful barrier surrounded them, protecting them from the explosions. He heard noises above him, and saw six IS diving straight down, weapons firing at the enemies, quickly taking them down. One was white with blue and gold trim, one was pink and black, one was orange, one was blue, one was black, and one was red with white._

_"We got them, go," Dante heard someone shout. Without question, he ran to one of the undamaged vehicles, and began to hotwire it. With a roar, the engine started._

_"Come On!" he shouted. Viktor and Fiero ran to the vehicle, making sure not to get in the cross fire. Viktor got in the passenger seat, kicking away the glass, while Fiero got on the machine gun on top of the vehicle, shooting at the IS, making sure not to hit their new allies. With a kick, the vehicle began moving forward, plowing through remaining soldiers. A few bullets were fired at them, but they missed their mark. With a sudden lurch, they were flying into the air, falling straight to a river._

_"Brace for impact," Dante shouted._

_The vehicle hit the water, which was as hard as concrete, and began sinking. The group immediately escaped from the vehicle, letting it sink to the bottom, before they swan for shore. They collapsed at the river bed, before they began forcing a laugh. Dante looked at Viktor, and noticed that he was bleeding from the chest. He began to crawl to the old man, his right leg impaled by glass._

_"Viktor, are you alright?" he asked._

_He got no answer. Viktor didn't even stir. Fiero checked for a pulse, before saying, "He's gone."_

_That was it. Dante and Fiero were the only people that have escaped. Dante closed Viktor's eyes, before saying, "_Che la morte no sia crudele (Death not be unkind). Requiescat in pace (Rest in peace), _Viktor."_

_With that done, the twins began walking away from the area, leaving Viktor behind._

**_Present Day_**

Dante wiped the tears from his eyes, not ready to show his friends his past.

"That day, we found a camp nearby, and took the IS by accident and flew back to Venezia," said Fiero, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"And on that day, we both promised to do our first smoke when Ghost Storm is taken down," said Dante. "Now come on, a party is waiting for us."

The two promptly changed into their uniforms and began walking to their room, prepared for the night.

**_End Chapter Six_**

**Viktor's last rites are taken from Assassin's Creed II, mission Having a Blast.**

**The poll is finished. Houki has taken the win.**

**Houki: 2**

**Cecilia: 0**

**Charlotte: 1**

**Lingyin: 0**

**Tatenashi: 1**

**Kanzashi: 1**


	7. Chapter 7

**For those of you that are wondering, I do fast updates because I have a crap-load of free time at home**

**_Chapter 7: The Party_**

"Where are they?" asked Rin.

"I don't know, they should've been here by now," answered Ichika.

They were waiting in Ichika's room, which was also occupied by Tatenashi Sarashiki, who once again, forced her way into the situation once again. She was out doing something with her sister, Kanzashi Sarashiki, and both promised to be back in time for the party so that they could meet the twins.

"Laura, got anything?" asked Charlotte.

"I can sense two people coming, but it's hard to tell if it's the Sarashiki's or the twins," said Laura, her eye-patch off, showing her gold colored eye.

"Alright, get ready," said Houki.

They waited a few seconds, before the door opened, and through the door came Dante and Fiero, both with smiles.

"Hey guys," said Fiero.

"Hello, welcome to our pathetic excuse for a party," said Cecilia, extending her arms around her.

It was true, the entire thing looked shoddy at best, with the only things that resemble a party were the food and drinks placed on the countertop.

"It's perfect as is," said Dante.

_'Better to lie, than tell them the truth'_, thought Dante, being wise not to say it out loud.

"Well, let's get started," said Fiero.

And so the night passed by, with Tatenashi and Kanzashi coming in not long after the twins, and then came the time for stories. Fiero was currently telling one right now.

"-and then, the little boy thought 'enough is enough', and was set to get rid of the growths on his hand. So he waited for his parents to leave the house, then injected morphine in his arm, went to the blender, turned it on, and stuck his hand in it, being sure to only get the growths. After a minute, he pulled out his new hand, smiled in satisfaction, and said 'Five down, five to go.'"

Everyone gasped, with Rin being the brave one to ask, "S-so he cut his fingers off?"

At this, Fiero put on a face of shock and said, "Wait, what? No, no it wasn't his fingers. It was on the back of his hands where the growths were. What got you into thinking that it was his fingers?"

"Sorry, it was just the way you said it that got me thinking it was his fingers that were cut off."

"Yeah, the story does that to people. So, who wants to play spin the bottle, truth or dare style?" asked Fiero, noticing the blush on the girls faces before changing it.

"Sure, that sounds fun," said Ichika, one again oblivious to the girls reactions.

"Alright, the unlucky one will be asked," was all Fiero said before spinning the bottle. As if in irony, the bottle pointed at him.

"Alright, truth or dare?" asked Dante.

"Dare."

"Okay, I dare you to get five things from the table, mix it into a drink, then drink it."

Fiero did as he was told, getting ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, horse radish, and some chips. The blender cut through the mixture with ease. He placed it in the biggest cup he could find, and began drinking it, getting the others disgusted. While he was drinking it, he pointed at Rin, and spun his finger, signaling it was her turn to spin. Rin did as instructed, and the bottle slowed down and pointed at Dante.

"Dare," was all he said.

"Dante, I dare you to try one of Cecilia's sandwiches." Everyone looked at her in shock, except for Cecilia, who looked pleased, and the twins, who were wondering why the others were looking at her like that.

"Good thing I prepared," Cecilia said, pulling out a sandwich from a bag, and gave it to Dante.

'_Well, here goes_' he thought before he bit into the sandwich and swallowed. Immediately, he began choking, shocking everyone, before taking out one of the ingredients.

"Tomato," he said, before continuing on with the sandwich, unfazed by everyone. He spun the bottle, and it landed on Ichika.

"Truth," he said.

Dante looked at Fiero, who was trying to hide a grin. "Out of all the girls in the room, which one do you like the most."

Everyone went silent, then the girls looked at Ichika, giving him what looks like a death glare.

'_Bingo_'

"Uh, I change to dare."

"Okay, I dare you to answer that question."

Ichika swallowed, deliberately trying not to answer that question, looking at everything but the girls, before he silently said, "houki."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" asked Dante.

"Houki," Ichika said in a louder voice, before pulling his arms up, expecting an attack.

The attack never came though, and when Ichika opened his eyes, he saw the girls look in understanding, if not sadness. Houki walked up to Ichika and sat next to him, holding his hand.

"Well," Fiero said, "to spare you people from more embarrassment, let's talk about what we did in the summer. What did you guys do?"

"Well, we went to take down a Phantom Task base, which held information on other bases, but when we went there, we saw many bodies, gunfire and explosions. We also saw IS pilots held in place by harpoons. When we went to the main area, we saw three prisoners against many IS pilots. We dived in to save them, and Houki told them to get out of the area, and they did, getting into a jeep before driving away. We took down the pilots and followed the prisoners. The tire tracks went down a cliff, and when we followed, we saw the body of one of the prisoners, an old man. Around him were footprints and a blood trail, but when we followed, they suddenly disappeared, and we never were able to find them. We gave the old man a proper burial before we left."

As Ichika was talking, Dante and Fiero tensed when they found out that the gang was there during the escape, then Dante asked, "Did you ever find out the old man's name?"

"No, we had nothing to tell his name, he was dead before we got to him. Why? Did you know him?" asked Rin.

"His name was Viktor Veniamin, a good man," said Dante.

Everyone was looking at him. "How do you know his name?" asked Houki.

"We were there, during the prison riot. We were the ones that you helped escape from there. It was our footprints that you saw, the blood trail coming from Dante's leg," said Fiero. To confirm this, Dante pulled his right pants leg up, showing the scars that he had.

"What were you guys doing there?" asked Cecilia.

"Same thing you were, take down Phantom Task. However, our mission happened a month before you guys came, and our commanding officer betrayed us to Phantom Task. We were subjected to torture for a month before the prison riot began. We lost two of our team members in an explosion. There was a helicopter outside the walls that was destroyed. That's where they are now."

"Oh. Sorry for not noticing that," said Ichika.

Laura didn't say anything, as she knew full well the loss of friends in combat.

"On that day, we also found out we can pilot an IS by accident. That's why the footprints stopped," said Dante.

"And on that day, we promised to get our revenge on our officer," finished Fiero.

Silence filled the room, as everyone hasn't heard the twins like that. After a minute, Fiero broke out into a smile, breaking the tension.

"Anyway, Laura, would you be willing to go on a date?"

Silence filled the room again, but much of it came from Laura herself as they heard Fiero ask that question. She contemplated, with silent urging from Charlotte, before answering, "Sure, I guess."

"Alright. Meet me at the front of school tomorrow."

The rest of the night passed by, with the gang now having more respect for the twins, who have also found new friends they are willing to protect with their lives.

**_End Chapter Seven_**

**The story Fiero was telling is based on something I saw on Facebook, but in the story, the kid drank alcohol to numb the pain, and he really did cut his fingers off.**

**I will also be releasing bloopers, just for fun.**


	8. Chapter 8

**All flashbacks and anything involving Ghost Storm in this story will be told in the POV of Dante**

**_Chapter 8: Loose Ends_**

"So, where do you want to go?" asked Fiero.

"Well, there is this new movie that came out earlier that I've been waiting to see for a bit. It's mostly a war movie," said Laura.

"Want to see how many mistakes they make about the military?" asked Fiero, smirking.

At this, Laura laughed a bit before answering, "Sure. I bet that there will be at least fifty mistakes."

"I go to around one-hundred."

And that's how it went for the first part of the date. They each got a large cup of soda, a big carton of popcorn, and a massive amount of sweets ("I've a really big sweet tooth," Fiero tried to explain) before the movie began.

"Hey Laura."

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I pull that old movie cliché where the guy stretches and puts his arm on the shoulders on the girl next to him?"

"Anything else you planning?"

"A lame romantic dinner where the old spaghetti thing happens, then we both deny that happened," said Fiero.

"I see you planned this out already," said Laura, smiling at Fiero.

"It's more like guesstimates."

The movie has started by this point, and both sat in silence as they watched the movie.

**_TRANSITION!_**

"Well that was a terrible excuse for a war movie," said Fiero, throwing away the popcorn carton.

"I know. I've met drill sergeants far more strict than that," said Laura.

"Not to mention the fact that there was really no plot in it. It was all 'survive, or be killed,'" said Fiero, throwing his arms into the air.

"Still, the only thing that was actually good was when they found the traitor in the base," said Laura.

"It's always the schizophrenic person that betrays the good guys; I fail to see that as relevant."

"It makes more sense than a sane person doing it," countered Laura.

Fiero might have continued the argument, had he not pushed Laura out of the way from a laser bolt that passed inches from their faces. When it impacted, a small burst appeared in the impact point, forcing civilians to run. Fiero and Laura, taking out combat knives, turned to see the new threat. When they saw them, however, Fiero's heart nearly stopped.

In front of them, the combat uniforms of Ghost Storm where in front of them, each soldier carrying rifles. One stood out from them, his uniform blood-red instead of the gray color of the uniforms. In his hand, he held a rifle that fired the laser. It was a white color, with a pistol grip and a barrel that was wide open.

"So, we meet again, Scope," said the leader.

"Echo. What are you doing here?" Fiero asked threateningly.

"The boss is merely tying up loose ends, and you and Shot are very, _very_ loose ends," said Echo.

"So he sent his lapdog instead of doing things himself? I'm so shocked to see he cares," said Fiero in a mocking tone of voice.

"Shut up! You never followed orders, and you know what we do to traitors."

At this, Laura looked at Fiero, but he continued talking.

"The only traitors are those that followed King's orders. In truth, all of Ghost Storm are traitors."

"Either way, The King has ordered your death, and I will make it happen." Echo raised his gun and fired, along with his soldiers, firing off an entire magazine at the two. When the shooting had stopped, Echo expected to see the corpses of Fiero and Laura.

What he hadn't expected was that Laura had stopped every single shot with her AIC, or the fact that the two were running away from them.

"You can't run forever Scope. One way or another, we will find you," said Echo, looking as the shapes of the two ran away.

He then heard a beep noise, and looked for the source. He found it lying next to his feet, where two flashbangs have been taped together, and a small timer counting down from five.

"Oh, son of a-"he was cut off by the flash, blinding him and his soldiers, giving the two more time to escape.

"Blaze," said Fiero later, a far enough distance from Echo. Next to him, Laura was checking to make sure none of them followed.

Blaze immediately appeared in front of him.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Put Dante on, I need to talk to him. It's important."

Blaze winked out for a bit, before a hologram of Dante appeared before him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The past is catching up to us," said Fiero.

Dante's eyes immediately went wide. "How? We've been under the grid. How could they have found us?"

"Remember when we joined? They implanted tracking chips in us, on the off chance one of us might defect."

"Shit, I knew we forgot something. Get back here as fast as you can. I'll ask Ichika if he knows where they have surgical tools."

"It's not going to be easy. They sent Echo to get us."

Dante went silent at this.

"Who is Echo?" asked Laura, confused.

"Echo is one of Ghost Storm's most elite tracker. No mission begins until he gives the okay signal. He is followed by his personal squad 'Echo's of Ghosts', and the training they have is equal to his. He also has a rifle that can penetrate IS shields with ease, unless a massive force can stop it," said Dante.

"We can try to free run back to the train station, as he has a radar that tell him when an IS is active," said Fiero, already looking up the walls.

"That's a plan. Good luck," said Dante, cutting the transmission.

"I got some friends we can call," said Laura, pulling her phone out.

"Alright."

**_Later_**

The two of them managed to reach the academy without incident, though they managed to get by a few close calls.

"Miss Orimura," called Laura.

"What is it?" asked Chifuyu.

"There is a group of soldiers coming here, intent on killing the twins. I can call the Shwarzer Hase for some troops, but they will take some time to come."

"Tell the others to lock down the academy. We'll keep the twins under protection until we deal with the threat."

This order came too late, as an explosion rocked the building, and screams of the students followed immediately after.

"Attention all students, head back to your rooms. I repeat, all students, go back to your rooms!" shouted Tatenashi through the school intercom.

**_Dante POV_**

As soon as I heard the explosion, I went straight for the closet. Inside it, instead of clothing, Fiero and I have turned it into an armory holding the weapons we had back in Ghost Storm. Getting my rifle, I put on my old uniform, white with a red stripe on the left, and put on the helmet. Taking the safety off, I got out into the hallway, passing by students that ran by. At one point, I heard Ichika say, "How come every time I do something with the girls, something bad always happens?"

After some difficulty, I made it to the front doors, keeping at a corner to stay hidden. Up ahead, I saw Echo and his squad, wearing the standard grey with red patches, coming up. They were firing at the front desk, intending on making sure no one lives. I pulled out some of my 'boom' flashbangs, where they have a far bigger blast than normal, and tossed them out, making sure to stay in the corner. After at least five booms, I began firing at the soldiers, taking some down. However, I couldn't see Echo anywhere. Leaving the area, I began searching for Echo. The speakers then crackled again.

"Whoever you are, mysterious hero, thank you for at least stopping the majority of them," I heard Tatenashi say.

I then used a nearby microphone that connects to the speakers, and changing the pitch, I began talking.

"I know you're here Echo. If you truly want to end this, meet me in the cafeteria, and we will end this, once and for all. Harm anyone, and I will personally rip you to shreds."

My warning through, I then began sprinting to the cafeteria, stripping out of my uniform, leaving under it my academy uniform. I then pulled my hood up, hiding the majority of my face. On my right wrist was the blade I got from the prison. I modified it to be 10-inches long, and to open with a simple movement. My old KABAR combat knife was in my other hand, held ice-pick style, sharpened once again.

Pushing aside the doors, I noticed that Echo was indeed there. Unfortunately, the students that weren't able to head back into their rooms were tied up and put up against the corner, soldiers from Echo's squad aiming at them.

"Shot, how nice to see you again," said Echo.

"It's time we ended this," I said, bringing my knife up.

"Indeed," said Echo, then he charged at me.

He tackled me to the ground, but I got back to my feet immediately and tried a horizontal slash, getting his uniform, but not skin. He jumped back and brought his own knife out, a WWII-style knife. He did a downward slash at me, but I grabbed his arm, then I tried to stab him, but he stopped my arm. We were at a stalemate, boring holes into each others eyes. I then head butted him, got an empty bottle of soda, and smashed it on his head, shattering the bottle. I then followed up with a punch to his gut, one to his face, and ended with a kick in his stomach.

"It seems the wolf still has some bite," said Echo.

"And it looks like the chicken can still cluck," I said.

This got Echo angry, and he tried to charge at me again.

Big mistake.

Flicking my switchblade open, I thrust my arm forward, catching Echo on the neck. I waited for a second before I pulled out the blade. He placed a hand on his neck, and , staggering slightly, began talking.

"You may have got me, but remember. Ghost Storm has more soldiers than you can kill."

"Then the King has to send better soldiers then," I said.

Echo laughed a bit. "Indeed he does." He then collapsed, blood coming out of his wound, and died.

I then looked at the soldiers, and said, "By protocol of Ghost Storm, the killer of any commanding officer has the command of his former soldiers. I want all of you to leave, and never come back. If you do, I will not hesitate to kill you myself."

Trained to follow orders, the soldiers began to walk away. One, however, came up to me. "We have known the truth for a while now. If you need assistance, just give us a call." He then walked away.

By this point, Fiero, Laura and Chifuyu came in through the door

**_Normal POV_**

"What has happened here," asked Chifuyu, looking at the corpse of Echo.

"I've killed their leader, and by protocol, I've commanded his soldiers to leave," said Dante.

"Is there anyone hurt?" asked Chifuyu.

"None that I could see. Come on Fiero, let's give him a proper goodbye," said Dante, moving to the corpse. Before he began moving him, he got the radio that was strapped to his chest, and said, "You'll have to do better than that, King."

The radio buzzed for a bit before then answer came. "I knew I should have killed you myself, but I felt just a twinge of mercy. You won't be so lucky next time."

Dante then got Echo's pistol and fired at the radio, ending the transmission.

"Come on," said Dante, getting Echo's arms. Fiero got his legs, and both went to the back of the academy, where they buried him, getting his dog-tags out of habit. Charlotte came by soon after, seeing Dante giving a short prayer to the grave. He heard her walk to him, but he ignored it.

"Amen," he said, getting up.

"So it seems you aren't at peace," said Charlotte.

"We won't be until this is over," said Dante.

"You aren't the only one being hunted. My father keeps trying to kidnap me," said Charlotte, looking at the general direction of France.

Dante smiled, "Well, if you need someone to talk to, my room is always open." Dante then gave a quick hug to Charlotte, before he went to look for something to eat. Charlotte stayed where she was, a small blush forming on her cheeks, then followed closely behind.

**_End Chapter Eight_**

**Think of Ghost Storm uniforms the same as in the Marine Corps, with balaclavas and a gray combat uniform.**

**Any and all reviews from Silver and Gold Angels will be promptly ignored, as all he does is give criticism and no hints on how to improve this story**

**If you noticed by now, I've been doing two worded chapters**


	9. Omake 1

**This is not part of the story. I just wanted to do an omake to add in some humor that wasn't in previous chapters. Events in the omake will still be canon. Omakes will be shorter than the actual story, or longer.**

**_Omake 1: How and Why_**

It was a normal day in the IS academy, with Ichika and Houki practicing kendo, Laura having a normal conversation with the Shwarzer Hase, Charlotte cooking something, Cecilia and Rin playing chess (which Cecilia was winning), Kanzashi and Tatenashi watching anime together, and Dante and Fiero were practicing acoustic.

With permission, Dante has used Echo's former squad to guard the academy, wearing the academy colors. In each hallway, at least one guard was there, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

What no one expected, however, was a dog finding its way into the academy, somehow bypassing the guard patrols and students.

It was a Chihuahua puppy, black with white patches on its body. For reasons unknown, the dog got on the train that heads for the academy, hiding beneath the seats. Above it, Charlotte was holding a bag of ingredients, planning on making a combination of French and Japanese food. She didn't notice that a small cracker fell from the back, which the dog ate. It's munching was masked by the train.

Soon, the train reached its destination, with Dante waiting there so he could help Charlotte. He didn't notice the dog also got off the train, then promptly went to relieve itself.

"So, how was it?" Dante asked.

"It went well. I managed to get enough ingredients to make a feast for us," said Charlotte.

They began walking to the academy, unknowingly followed by the dog. At the doors, the two guards there stood at attention, before Dante told them to stand 'at ease.' They allowed the two to pass, not noticing the dog that followed them. After checking in, Dante and Charlotte went to the dorms, while the dog went to another area. It then began sniffing around, looking for something to eat. The smell of food hit its nose, and it followed the scent, passing behind the legs of a guard. It soon reached the cafeteria, when the door opened, letting the dog in while a girl was exiting. The dog continued following the scent, reaching a table with two girls. They were talking about how Dante was the only single boy left in the school, lost in their own world, letting the dog take the food that was on the table, a piece of meat. It wasn't until the dog got out with its prize when one of the girls asked, "Wait, where did my food go?"

Finding a quiet place, the dog ate its prize, filling its belly with food. After it finished the meat, it then began walking around the school, reveling in its scent. Out of dog habit, it began panting, making one of the nearby guards look around, trying to find the source of the noise. It then went outside, rubbing its head on the grass. The sound of gunfire reached its ears, hiding from it. The gunfire was actually some guards practicing, as they have gone a bit rusty, and so a firing range was set up, so the sound of gunfire was mixed in with regular school noises. It hid under a bench, which was occupied by Fiero, practicing with his guitar. The notes that were coming soothed the dog, and it started to fall asleep.

"Hey Fiero," said Laura.

"Hey. How is your day today?"

"Good. The Shwarzer Hase sent their regards to us."

"Did they now? Give them our thanks then," said Fiero. "Speaking of couples, have you noticed that Dante and Charlotte have been spending time together lately?"

"Yes, I have actually," said Laura.

The dog soon got bored of this area and walked away, letting the two talk without witnesses. The dog managed to push a door open, its nail clicking on the floor.

"Hello?" asked Dante. He looked around and saw the dog. "Hello, what are you doing here?"

The dog looked at him with curious eyes, before it walked to him, rubbing its head on his leg.

"What is it Dante?" asked Charlotte.

"It seems the academy has a visitor," said Dante.

Charlotte looked at the dog and said, "Aw, so cute."

"Should we tell Miss Orimura?" asked Dante.

"We should."

Dante picked up the dog, letting it rest on his arm before he began looking for the instructor. He hoped he would reach her without incident, but he made the mistake of walking through a hallway full of girls. Every one of them squealed at the sight of the dog, and immediately began trying to pet it. Dante tried to stop them, but he failed miserably. Charlotte was nowhere to be seen, and Dante guessed she was trying to find Chifuyu. This was confirmed when he saw her.

Or rather, her attendance book found Dante's head.

"What is going on here?" she asked in a commanding voice.

"I, found this dog in the school," said Dante, getting up off the floor, a bruise already forming.

"How did it get in here?"

"That's what I'm wondering," said Dante, "I found it in the hallway."

"And why hasn't anyone found it before now?" asked a student.

"That's what I'm asking myself right now. Charlotte, did you notice anything?" asked Dante.

"I heard something, but I didn't think it was a dog," said Charlotte.

The dog then jumped out of Dante's arms and began jumping around Chifuyu.

"The dog is affectionate, apparently," said Dante.

"Well, until we can find a solution, the dog will stay here," said Chifuyu. After a moment of squeals from the girls, she continued, "You'll have to take care of it though."

"Fair enough," said Dante. He then picked up the dog. "Let's call it Patches."

Voices of confirmation happened, and Patches looked around before it fell asleep in Dante's arms.

**_End Omake 1_**


	10. Chapter 9

**_Chapter 9: The Cadet_**

Dante woke with a start, looking around for the unfamiliar presence on his bed, before he remembered Patches was with him, curled up on his pillows. He gave her a quick scratch on the ears before he got up. Turning to see the sleeping form of Fiero, Dante was surprised by the sight of Laura curled up next to him.

"Hey lovebirds," he said.

Fiero woke up slowly, and wasn't aware of the presence of Laura until she squeezed, nearly giving Fiero a heart attack.

"What the, what happened?" asked Fiero.

"Don't ask me, she's your girl," said Dante, smirking.

"Well I didn't touch the drinks last night, that was you."

"I was thirsty, the water doesn't work here."

"You use that excuse everywhere we go. Hell, the King had to close off an entire room just for you to drink."

"What can I say, I've no defense against the call."

While they were talking, a group of girls were currently outside the doors, and they were able to hear every word of their conversation.

"Dante drinks?"

"Must be wine, he doesn't seem to be the one that drinks beer," said another.

"What did Dante mean by 'lovebirds'?" asked one.

Suddenly, Dante said, "Girls, if you want to here us talk, make sure it happens in the cafeteria."

The girls looked at each other before they left the area, surprised he was able to hear them.

"Come on Fiero, wake Laura up and lets go to class," said Dante, kicking the sheets off.

Gently, Fiero shook Laura awake, and began to pry her arms off of him. This was difficult for him, as Laura had an iron grip. When she woke up, it was easier for him to get out of bed.

"How are you doing today, Fiero?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Waking up next to a beautiful girl, that's what happened," said Fiero, putting his uniform jacket on.

Laura got out of bed and walked out the door. "See you in class, then."

After a few minutes, the twins began heading for the class, passing by a few girls who were talking about a new student that was coming. Others were wondering if it was a male.

"Hey guys," said Dante, walking into the classroom.

"Hey," said Ichika.

"Have you heard of the new student coming here?" asked Rin.

"Heard about it, but no real details," said Fiero.

Maya then came into the room. "Okay, everybody sit down." After a moment, she continued. "I'm sure you heard of the new student coming here, and I'll confirm it. He is here, right outside the door. You can come in now."

The door opened and in came the new student. His eyes were a chocolate brown, while his hair was a black color that seemed brown in the light. He had a tan skin-tone, showing that he was in the sun a lot. His uniform was the same as Ichika's, but the stripes on his leg were green, and on his back was a small eagle.

"Hello, my name is Daniel Carranza and I'm the Representative Candidate for Mexico," he said, rolling his _r's_ a bit. Dante and Fiero immediately tensed up at the sight of him, while the rest of the girls squealed at the sight of another boy in the academy. He also seemed to tense up at the sight of the twins, but he quickly wiped it off.

"Thank you. Now pick a seat, and we'll begin with today's lesson," said Chifuyu, entering the classroom.

The class passed by with silence, as it was mostly taking notes. When the class was done, the twins were asked to help Daniel around the academy. They responded with forced smiles. Unsettled by this, Ichika decided to follow them. When they reached an empty hallway, Ichika peered around the corner.

And had to turn back quickly.

Dante, Fiero and Daniel were pointing guns at each other, near-murderous intent in their eyes.

"Who sent you?" demanded Dante.

"A better question is why you two are here? The two of you are wanted criminals," responded Daniel.

"Our being here has nothing to do with being wanted criminals," said Fiero, aim not wavering.

"Then it has to do with the fact that you two are lechers for being here."

"Do you think we had a choice? We had to kill one of our own just to protect this place," said Dante.

"That excuses nothing. I can contact the American army to take you two away at any moment."

A click of a gun hammer came behind Daniel. "Do that, and I'll contact the Shwarzer Hase to protect them," said Laura.

Daniel pulled out another pistol and aimed it at Laura. Everything was deathly quiet.

'_Mexican Standoff_', thought Ichika.

It was broken when four attendance books came out of nowhere and hit each of them in the head, knocking them to the ground.

"No killing each other. That's what the arena is for," said Chifuyu, walking by them.

After a few minutes, the four of them got up, holding their heads in pain.

"Not even you two can hide forever. One way or another, you will pay for your crimes," said Daniel, walking away. Dante, Fiero and Laura watched as he walked away.

"Ichika, if you're going to spy on us, at least try," said Fiero.

"What did he mean by wanted criminals?" asked Ichika, getting out of his hiding spot.

"After we left Ghost Storm, the King called a hit on us, and we planned on moving around the world to hide from them, if it wasn't for the fact that we could pilot IS and were sent here. Every armed force in the world was looking for us, so we immediately agreed to be here. We didn't know that Ghost Storm would be dumb enough to actually try to kill us. I fear the next person they're going to send, as they aren't known for mercy," said Dante, walking away.

"Nor hospitality," said Fiero, going in a different direction.

Ichika and Laura looked at each other, unsure of what to do now.

**_End Chapter 9_**

**There will be three arcs in this fan-fic. The first eight chapters was the New Student arc, the current arc is the Defenders arc, and the last one is the Requiem arc. Give reviews, I need them to summon the bacon god.**

**Soon, halfway through this story, I'll be doing a different version of Infinite Stratos, with Dante replacing Ichika. If you do want to see that, post it in the reviews. If not, same thing.**


	11. Chapter 10

**_Chapter 10: The Date_**

"Is everything ready?" asked Ichika, buttoning his shirt.

"Yes. The reservations were made, I got you movie tickets, and a nice walk in the park under the moonlight should finish it," said Fiero.

"Nervous?" asked Dante.

"Kind of. This will be my first date, so I have a reason to be nervous guys," said Ichika.

"Ichika, the chances of this date failing is the same as me conquering the world with nothing but a rusty spoon and a squirt gun. You'll be fine," said Dante.

It was a few days after Daniel entered the academy, and he has been extremely reserved, making next to no contact with the other students, and those that did talk to him were unnerved by his personality. During that time, Ichika decided to ask Houki on a date, and with the help of the twins and the girls, they began setting up the date for the two of them; a romantic comedy to begin the date, then the dinner, then a walk in a park that was recommended by Tatenashi.

"I just hope nothing bad happens," said Ichika.

"Why do you think that?" asked Fiero.

"Every time I do something with the girls, something bad always happens," said Ichika.

"Just call us if there is. We'll be there to help if anything bad happens," said Dante, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Ichika seemed calmed by this. "Okay. Wish me luck guys." With that, he exited the room at the same time as Houki, wearing a simple red dress.

"You look nice," said Ichika.

"Same goes for you," said Houki.

Ichika stuck his arm out. "Shall we?"

Houki smiled and hooked her arm around his. "We shall."

The two then walked away, and when they were out of earshot, Dante asked, "Got the dark clothes ready?"

"As dark as the night," answered Rin.

"Good. Remember to keep your hair hidden. Ichika is bound to screw this up, so we got to help him from the shadows," said Dante, putting on a black hoodie.

The twins met with the girls outside, all wearing a black color set of clothing.

"All set?" asked Dante.

"Ready when you are," answered Laura.

"Okay. Now, since the two of them are taking monorail, we'll have to find a way to follow them. The IS can be spotted quick, so we'll need a different idea," said Fiero.

"There are boats, near the docks. We can use them, but we need permission," said Cecilia.

"How balanced are you girls?" Dante suddenly asked.

"Well enough. Why?" asked Charlotte.

Dante didn't answer, instead looking at the cables for the monorails. The girls followed his view, and had a sense of unease.

**_A few minutes later_**

"You girls alright?" asked Dante.

The girls didn't answer, mostly due to the fact that they were out of breath from running of the cables for ten minutes straight.

"Yes, the heavy panting is a sign that all is well," said Rin in the most sarcastic voice she could muster.

"Sorry for asking then," Dante replied, heavy sarcasm dripping off each word.

"Alright. First off, Ichika and Houki should be in the cinema by now. Laura and I will go inside, as a single person going to a romantic comedy movie seems desperate," said Fiero.

"When they come out, the rest of us will keep an eye on them," Dante told the others as Fiero and Laura left.

"How are we going to do that?" asked Charlotte.

"By rooftop," said Dante, walking towards a nearby construction area.

Cecilia, Rin and Charlotte looked at each other and followed, not sure what was going to happen then. They found Dante looking at a group of lifts.

"What are you doing?" asked Rin.

"I saw this in a game once." Before the girls could ask, Dante suddenly grabbed the cable and kicked the lever, letting go before he hit the top, sending him flying to the air, making him land on the platform above them.

"What are you waiting for? Do what I just did," said Dante.

The girls looked at each other with uncertainty before they complied. After that event ("Let's not do that again," said Cecilia) the four of them walked with Dante, occasionally climbing up higher, until they reached the cinema.

"If I'm correct, the movie should have started by now. You girls can take a nap, I'll keep watch," said Dante, getting out binoculars.

Rin and Cecilia immediately closed their eyes and went to sleep, while Charlotte sat next to Dante, taking a spot next to him.

"Hey Dante," said Charlotte.

"Yes?"

"What would you do if you weren't an IS pilot?"

"I guess I would regret not being with a pretty girl all the time," said Dante.

Charlotte immediately blushed at this. "What?"

"You heard me," said Dante, smiling.

Charlotte didn't answer, instead looking away, hiding a small smile from Dante. The rest of the time passed quietly, with Charlotte going to sleep soon after the conversation. Dante then felt his phone vibrate, and checked the message.

_They're exiting. Prepare to follow them._

"Hey, wake up," said Dante, shaking each girl awake.

"What's going on?" asked Cecilia.

"They're on the move. Let's go," said Dante, before he jumped to the next building. The girls followed, glad they wore clothes that don't restrict movement. After a few minutes of jumping from building to building, they reached the restaurant.

"Fiero, we're here," said Dante into his phone.

"I'll be over there. Keep watch," said Fiero.

"Alright," Dante said, taking out his binoculars again, looking as Ichika and Houki were talking at a table.

**_In the restaurant_**

"You do realize that they've been following us since the academy, right?" asked Ichika.

"Yeah, the girls still don't trust us apparently. At least the twins have some sense and left us alone," said Houki.

"Yeah. So anyway, how is your sister? I haven't heard from her since summer," said Ichika.

"She's doing fine. Still acts the same though," said Houki. They both shuddered at the same time, as Tabane has been known to get crazy, without touching a single drop of alcohol.

"I just hope the twins don't pull the ears off the ground," said Ichika, remembering how he first met Tabane. Long story short, he's afraid of rabbits now.

They looked each other straight into their eyes before they burst out laughing.

**_Back outside_**

"Whatever Ichika said, it must have been funny," said Rin.

Two small thumps were heard behind them.

"Nearly got caught a few times," said Fiero.

"You've lost your touch," said Dante.

"They're leaving," said Laura.

The others turned and indeed saw the two exiting the restaurant.

"Everything seems to be okay. Let's head back before they get suspicious," said Dante, getting up off the floor.

Everyone followed suite, and began heading back to the monorail station.

"Sorry girls, but we have to run on the cables again," said Fiero.

There was disapproval, but they reluctantly agreed. They faired better, but they would feel it in the legs the next day. After a quick good-bye, they split up, heading to their respective rooms. Not long after, Ichika and Houki returned to the academy, small smiles on their faces.

"So, how did the date go?" asked Dante.

"It went well, actually. The movie was funny, the food was great, and it was a clear night," said Ichika.

"If I'm correct, you two had your first kiss together," said Fiero.

At this, the two of them blushed, but it was pretty obvious that they kissed.

Dante decided to spare them. "Alright, go to bed you two. We got hell tomorrow."

Houki, after giving Dante a grateful smile, left, with Ichika going into his room.

At the other end of the hallway, Daniel watched the entire thing, uncertainty on his face.

**_End Chapter 10_**

**The style of the date was from my best friend's experience, as I've yet to be lucky.**


	12. Chapter 11

**_Chapter 11: Sibling Rivalry_**

"Wow," said Fiero.

"Yep," said Dante.

They were currently looking at the matches for the class tournament, and as luck would have it, Dante and Fiero were in the first battle.

"You do know this means we both won't hold back, right?" asked Dante.

"Let's just hope the arena won't be destroyed," answered Fiero.

Around them, the girls from different classes were taking bets on who would win, with Dante having a steady lead of 2 yen.

"Well, see you in the arena," said Dante, walking away. He passed by Charlotte, who was currently thinking on something important. Dante then met up with Ichika, who was conversing with Houki.

"Hey guys," said Dante as he walked up to them.

"Hey Dante. Did you see the board?" asked Ichika.

"Yep. Fiero and I will go first apparently. Just pray the arena won't be destroyed," said Dante.

"Why?" asked Houki.

"Whenever we fight, stuff tends to get destroyed," answered Dante, walking away to the locker rooms. When he got there, he saw Daniel doing a prayer in Spanish. Dante walked away, making sure not to bother him, as he was also holding a locket in his hands. Heading to his locker, he opened it and changed into his IS uniform, and checking his inactive IS to make sure it is okay, he waited in the locker room, slowly going to sleep. Fiero and Ichika came in soon after and changed, the only noise being the exchanging of clothing. After a moment, he heard his and Fiero's names being called. With a quick good-bye to Ichika, they entered the arena, and were buffeted by the noise the multitude of girls made, which was somehow louder than gunfire.

"You ready?" Dante asked.

"As ever," answered Fiero.

They shook hands, and walked a distance away from each other.

"3, 2, 1, begin," said Chifuyu.

Dante and Fiero immediately got there IS out, with Dante smashing his fists together, then pulled them apart, a current of electricity going between them. Slowly extending his arms apart, he allowed it room to go across his body, while Fiero slammed his right foot down into the ground, black electricity going up his body. In seconds, both were ready in their war machines.

Fiero did the first strike, sending out solid holograms at Dante, who held one sword in a metallic sheathe. When they got in striking distance, they suddenly went down, huge slashes on the armor, and Dante had yet to move. One of the many screens in the arena showed a replay of that event, slowing down when the holograms reached Dante. Slowing down by a lot, it is revealed that Dante indeed moved, taking down two holograms before going back in his original position, repeating it a few times before the holograms stopped coming at him. Dante then charged at Fiero with his inhumane speed, striking at him, but Fiero managed to block every single strike with his gun, before he unloaded the masterkey at Dante's next attack position. Dante blocked it, but he was pushed back by the force of it.

"That all you have?" taunted Dante.

"Just getting started," answered Fiero, priming his flamethrower.

A jet of blued fire came out, sending Dante back at the risk of his shields. Fiero then began firing his gun, forcing Dante to move in a zigzag pattern to avoid getting shot. With Dante defenseless, Fiero primed his cannons, keeping Dante at bay from him. Smiling, he fired, a large beam aimed directly where Dante was next to move. Sheathing his swords, Dante pulled out one of his great swords, absorbing the blasts, before he slashed, returning the beams at Fiero, who barely ducked in time.

All this happened, and both had yet to make damage on the shields.

Everyone was watching open-mouthed at the skill of the twins, now scared of going against them in combat.

Things changed when Dante moved towards Fiero, doing a cross slash at him. The first blade was blocked, but the second hit Fiero, lowering his shields.

"First blood," said Dante.

Fiero, seemingly dazed, suddenly ejected a bayonet from his rifle, slashing at Dante, lowering his shields.

This pattern continued, with Dante and Fiero each taking bits of their shields, with holes appearing every so often on the arena floor. Twenty minutes later, both had ten percent of their shields left. Panting, Dante tossed one of his swords at Fiero, catching it, while sending his rifle away. Fiero held his blade in a fencing stance, while Dante held his pointing downward. They stayed like this for a second, before they charged straight at each other. All everyone could see was Dante's lightning fast moves and Fiero's holograms striking, a massive shower of sparks appearing from the contact. The audience was near blinded by the sparks that appeared. In the fight, both shields steadily decreased, until they had one percent left. In a final charge, they swung at the same time, and it was impossible to tell who one.

"The winner is Dante Caruso," Maya said.

Smiling, Fiero returned the sword to Dante, smiling at the match.

"Good game," said Fiero, sticking his hand out.

"It was luck," said Dante, shaking his brother's hand. With a flash, both IS disappeared and they walked out of the arena.

"Next match, Ichika versus Daniel."

**_End Chapter 11_**

**The following is the prologue of my next story. Enjoy.**

**_Infinite Stratos_**

**_From Zero to Hero_**

**_Prologue: The Thief_**

"Hey, get back here," I heard a policeman call as I ran across the busy streets of Venice.

"No thank you," I merely replied, vaulting over a car, giving me more distance from him.

If you're wondering who I am, I am Dante Caruso, your resident pickpocket and thief. I started my 'criminal' career after my parents died, my dad in a car accident, and my mom in an IS explosion. The IS, or Infinite Stratos, is a powerful exoskeleton suit initially designed for space travel, but was somehow redesigned as a war machine. Due to the fact that it's only compatible with women, women began dominating society, turning the tide on the men.

Anyway, back to the chase. I ran into an alley, and just when the officer thinks he has me, I began climbing up the wall, going too fast for him to catch me.

"Get the retrieval IS. We've got a criminal on the loose, and he's currently climbing up a building."

The thing I stole is just a regular ring, which for some reason was in a lab looking place. It was a shiny white ring, with a ruby placed in the center. It was probably worth a lot, seeing as an IS was now chasing me. Barely ducking under a net, I jumped to the next building, rolling to shake away the impact. On a whim, I jumped into one of the rivers that cuts through the city, the cold water all around me. Then I began looking for a sewer grate so I could escape, while the IS was looking for me in the river. I found a way out right when I was found. The last thing I remember was being hit in the head with a blunt object.

* * *

First thing I feel when I wake up? A splash of cold water hitting my face.

"Wake up," I heard someone demand.

Carefully, I cracked one eye open, noticing I was not in the river anymore, but in a building, a single bulb above my head.

"An interrogation?" I asked.

"Who do you work for?" asked a female voice, ignoring and confirming my question.

"Myself," I said.

"Give him a shock," she said, and electricity began coursing through my body, my screams of pain ignored.

"Let me be clear: you won't be leaving this place until you answer my question. Who do you work for?"

"I just told you, I work for no one."

Then I found a knife to my neck.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way," she said, and I could have sworn I heard a smirk in her voice.

I then noticed that my handcuffed hands were connected to nothing, and I was free to move them.

"Too bad I never follow the rules," I said, then wrapped the cuffs on her wrist, and twisted her hand, making her drop the knife. I then slammed a fist in her face, knocking her out cold. When she hit the ground, I looked for the keys, smiling to myself when I found them. In seconds, I was walking out of the room, her knife in my hand. I then began walking around the place, making sure I stayed in the shadows. My peace didn't last long, as an alarm suddenly went around the place.

"Alert, the prisoner has escaped. Find him and bring him back to his cell. I repeat, bring him back to his cell."

That isn't good. I heard footsteps behind me, and I ran into a random room, keeping an ear on the door to make sure the footsteps went away. When I was sure they were gone, I sighed in relief, then began looking around the room. To my surprise, I saw an IS unit standing there. It had the appearance of an armored samurai.

'_One touch, then I leave,_' I thought to myself. Carefully, I reached a hand out at it, and it was surprisingly warm, as if it was used recently. Then I pulled my hand away.

Or rather, tried to.

My hand was stuck on the unit, and no matter how hard I tried, my hand wouldn't let go. Then I heard the sound of moving machinery, and the next thing I knew, I was in the machine. The door opened with a slam, but the footsteps stopped right there. I turned, and saw some guards standing there, open mouthed, while the woman that tortured me had an angry face.

Not a good day to be me.

* * *

I was moved into a car soon after that happened, being pretty much dragged by two burly men in suits. In the car, I met three people: A woman with magenta hair, one with green hair, and one with black or brown hair. For some reason, the one with magenta hair had robotic rabbit ears. As soon as I entered the car, the rabbit eared girl began conversation in the most unusual way, in the manner of a strong handshake.

"Hello there," she said while I was trying to get the feeling back in my hand. When I looked up, she was no more than two inches away from me. "You have pretty eyes," she said.

"Uh, hello?"

"Tabane, enough. You're scaring him," said the black haired woman.

Tabane, after a moment, backed away, allowing me room to breathe again. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"To a special place," the black haired woman said. She studied me, and I noticed for the first time how dirty my clothes are. "My name is Chifuyu Orimura and the one next to me is Maya Yamada."

I turned my attention to Maya, and I noticed she seems younger than she looks. Plus her bust size, really?

"Hello. My name is Dante Caruso," I said, making sure my voice didn't shake.

"Well met Dante. How old are you?" asked Chifuyu.

"Sixteen," I said.

"What are your hobbies?"

"I pick pockets for a living." After saying this, I returned Tabane her robotic ears, who didn't notice her ears were missing until that point.

"One final question. How did you pilot an IS?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," I said. Normally, I would drop in some flirts, but something told me not to.

"Well, until we figure it out, you will be the ward of Miss Yamada until further notice," said Chifuyu.

I was shocked, but nothing more than Maya, who blushed immensely.

"Okay. Is that it?" I asked.

"You will also be put in the IS Academy to improve your piloting skills. It's a rare opportunity, so you only have one chance at this. What do you say?"

I pondered this for a moment. On the one hand, I'll be off the streets for hopefully forever. On the other hand, I'll be tied down in an academy, where they may not take lightly to thieves. If I refuse, I'll be in jail for who knows how long.

I hate choices, so I picked one on a whim.

"When do I begin?"

**_End Prologue_**

**The title, From Zero to Hero, is a nod to the movie Hercules, the Disney version.**

**Madoka Orimura will replace Ichika because reasons.**

**Since I'll do my best to follow the story, tell me how Laura should react when she comes in and lays her eyes on Dante.**

**Dante's appearance is the same as in Lightning Blaze.**


	13. Chapter 12

**_Chapter 12: Honor-bound_**

Daniel walked outside to the arena, passing by the twins, moving his ring every so often. It was a simple band of silver, with a green gem on it. When he walked outside, he blocked out the noise of the crowd, instead focusing on Ichika.

"3, 2, 1, Begin," said Maya.

Ichika suddenly thrust his arm up and yelled ,"Byakushiki!"

In a bright flash, his White, Gold and Blue IS was ready, his sword in one hand, and a particle cannon in the other.

Daniel twisted the gem on his ring, and was surrounded in a green flash. When it died down, they saw his IS.

Bearing a jade green main body with white details, it was a Raphael Revive unit, with the shoulder plates of the Uchigane system. In his hands was a silver lever-action rifle, and a serrated bayonet. It had a small button near the trigger.

"Say hello to Honor-bound," was all Daniel said before he started firing at Ichika. Ichika dodged the green beams, which came at a rate faster than a lever-action rifle should. After a few seconds, Daniel pressed the button, making his muzzle shine with a white light. Grinning, he fired, and the shot hit Ichika in the chest. He was surprised to learn that it didn't damage his shields. When he looked at Daniel, he was also surprised to see two rocket launchers come from his back. Daniel raised his rifle in the air and fired, also making the rockets propel towards Ichika. Ichika tried to move to the side, but the rockets followed him, forcing Ichika to keep running. While he was running, Daniel was reloading his rifle, loading red shells in. Things didn't go Ichika's way when he was struck by the rockets, sending electricity throughout his IS, and taking out twenty percent of his shields. Not giving him time to attack again, Ichika charged at Daniel, swinging his blade straight at him. Ichika was lucky, and managed to take down his shields, making him lose twenty-five percent. He followed through with this, keeping Daniel at bay, dropping his shields to half of what he started with. Unconsciously, he clenched his left hand, and swung. Daniel backed away, and fired his gun at Ichika, doing a surprising amount of damage, then swung his bayonet, using the recoil to increase the power of his strikes. Flipping it over, Daniel swung his gun like a club, yelling out "FORE!" before sending Ichika flying into a wall.

"That had to hurt," said Rin.

Ichika got up carefully, keeping an eye on Daniel. His shields were nearly gone, so he decided to be more careful in his attacks. This was negated when he was hit by the same glowing bullet from earlier. He barely got up when he was his by the missiles, taking down his shields.

"Daniel Carranza wins," said Maya.

Ichika went down on his knees, panting. When he looked up, he saw the hand of Daniel, extended at him.

"Good battle," he said.

Ichika grabbed his hand, and was pulled up off the ground, before shaking his hand.

The rest of the tournament passed by, with Rin defeating Laura, Charlotte beating Cecilia in a sniper battle, Kanzashi beating Ran Gotanda, then Kanzashi beating Rin, Charlotte by Dante, and Kanzashi by Daniel.

"Next match, Daniel versus Dante."

**_End Chapter 12_**

**I'll be doing a song soon in this story. Out of these choices, which one do you choose?**

**Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen**

**One- Metallica**

**Green Grass and High Tides- Outlaws**

**Come with me now- Kongos**

**Kryptonite- 3 Doors Down**


	14. Chapter 13

**_Chapter 13: The Juggernauts_**

"Just so you know, I won't be holding back," said Dante, sharpening his swords against each other.

"I don't expect you to," said Daniel, pulling the lever on his rifle.

"Want to do a bet before we begin?" asked Dante.

"What are the terms?"

"If I win, tell me and Fiero the real reason you're here," said Dante.

"And if I win, you will do the same," said Daniel.

They shook on it, and backed away from each other.

"Begin."

Dante charged at Daniel, his swords nearly a blur, while Daniel also charged, bayonet pointed forward. Their blades impacted…

…And drop pods fell into the arena, passing through the shields as if they were nothing.

Everything froze, as the students were watching the pods with fear. IS guards then came in, setting up barricades, surrounding the pods.

"What is it?" was the commonly asked question throughout the audience.

"Fiero, what do you think?" asked Ichika. Fiero didn't answer, but his knuckles were completely white.

Dante had a similar reaction, and started backing away.

"What is it?" asked Daniel.

"I only know two people who come in like that," said Dante, fear in his voice.

"The two Juggernauts," said Fiero.

There was a hiss, and the doors began moving. The soldiers aimed their weapons, preparing for the worst. Suddenly, the doors went flying, knocking down a few barricades, not hurting anyone.

"Well, one hell of a place to find you here," said a voice.

**_Dante POV_**

Oh no. This isn't good.

"Dante, who are they?"

"Juggernaut and Pyrotech," was my answer.

"So glad you remember us," said Juggernaut, walking out of his pod, holding a customized mini-gun.

"How can I not? You two were the last resort," I said.

"At least you remember that," said Pyrotech, getting out of his pod. In his hands was an incendiary grenade launcher.

"What do you want?" I asked, holding my blades out.

"The King has a message. Unless you surrender yourselves, the entire academy will be under siege. Do you want that on your head?" asked Juggernaut.

"Bringing innocent civilians into this? No wonder you are on Uncle Sam's hit-list," said Daniel.

"Whose list aren't we on? You have a choice," said Juggernaut. His personal squad, the Armored division, colored in grey and green and wearing EOD armor, soon came out of their pods, aiming their guns at the IS soldiers.

"Miss Orimura, what do you think?" I asked.

"Not too sure. I don't want you two to leave the academy, as you and Fiero have potential, but I don't want the academy under siege," said Chifuyu.

"I hate choices," said Fiero.

"It's a bluff. They don't nearly have enough soldiers to mount a siege," I said.

"It's your choice Dante, I can't influence it," said Chifuyu, before cutting the transmission.

"What's your answer?" asked Juggernaut.

"Say hello to Echo for me," was what I said before firing the gun Fiero gave me. Juggernaut and Pyrotech were engulfed in the resulting explosion, and silence went through the area. I heard a new sound, however.

The sound, of a mini-gun preparing to fire.

"MOVE!" I yelled, pushing Daniel out of the way. Not two seconds later, a hail of tracer shots appeared out of the smoke, carving huge bullet holes in the walls.

"Everyone, out of the arena!" I heard Chifuyu command.

The guards began firing at the Armored Division, who were counter-attacking with M60E4 machine guns. Soldiers on both sides went down. Then some guards were being engulfed in flames from Pyrotech's grenade launcher.

Meanwhile, Daniel and I were busy flying all around the arena, trying to dodge the bullets from Juggernaut. How he survived, I have no idea.

"How do you like my shields? They were created to survive blasts from IS," I heard him say.

Well, that explains that.

"Guys, we might need help here," I said, opening a communication channel.

"Ugh, why are we dodging the bullets? I thought IS were invulnerable to standard weaponry," said Daniel.

"They are. He has bullets that can penetrate shields. You saw how they got in the arena. Ghost Storm has been working with nullifying shields for months," was my answer.

"Is there anything you guys haven't perfected?" asked Daniel.

"We've yet to make a good cup of coffee."

**_Flashback_**

_"IT BURNS!"_

_"HOW IN THE HELL DOES COFFEE EAT THROUGH STEEL?!"_

**_End Flashback_**

"Not even going to ask," said Daniel.

"Good, cause I'm not going to explain," I said.

Suddenly, faint orange shots passed by, hitting the area in front of Juggernaut and Pyrotech.

"Got them!" I heard Rin yell.

Along with that, I saw blasts coming in from Tatenashi, Laura and Cecilia, all aimed for Juggernaut and Pyrotech.

"Dante, I found a weak point in the armor. If it works, then both will lose their shields," Fiero said.

"Where is it?"

"Pyrotech. He has gas canisters that help launch his shots. A single strike from a gun will nullify both shields, forcing them to lose the armor and take the defensive."

"How good is the shot?" I asked, looking at the roof of the arena.

"Good enough," he said, and the crack of a rifle cut through the air. Not a second after, Pyrotech was covered in fire, and Juggernaut was trying not to be covered in flames, but was unable to do it. With no choice, they began taking off the armor piece by piece, starting with the helmet and ending with the chest piece. After a moment, they brought out L86 machine guns, took some cover, and began firing at the guards with deadly accuracy.

"You got guns for us?" I asked.

"Yes. I also got something for Daniel," said Fiero, rappelling down the arena.

"Alright," I said, before dematerializing my IS.

"What are you doing?" asked Cecilia.

"Taking the initiative. You and the girls should go. We are the reason they're here, so it's up to us to stop them," I said, taking out my P99 pistol.

"Then let me help. It's my mission to stop Ghost Storm, and we should start now," said Daniel, also dematerializing his IS and pulled out a Berretta M92 pistol.

"Don't start without me," said Fiero, coming up with his MK14 rifle. He reached behind him and pulled out two guns, an AR-15 rifle for Daniel, and an MP5 for me. After taking off the safeties, we began firing at the Armored Division, their armor, already riddled with bullets, failed to protect them.

"Fiero, toss some boom-flashers," I said, getting a headshot.

"Boom-flashers?" asked Daniel.

Fiero responded by tossing two boom-flashers. When they hit the ground, a massive flash appeared, and a big bang took out all hearing in the impact zone. Using this moment, I charged at the two with my knife, stabbing them in the arms, making them drop their machine guns. I was about to tie their arms together, but then I felt a fist hit my face. Reeling back, I saw Juggernaut and Pyrotech getting up, wearing darkened goggles and ear muffs.

"Is that it," asked Juggernaut.

"No, just getting started," I said, before throwing a vicious left cross. Pyrotech held his arm up, stopping the attack, then tried to uppercut me. I moved my head back, but had to move it a different way when Juggernaut pulled a punch aimed straight for my temple. Then a fist went for Pyrotech, this time coming from Fiero. From what I saw, Daniel was keeping the troops at bay.

"Time to see who the good two man team is," said Juggernaut.

He and Pyrotech pulled out broad-bladed knives, and charged at us. In response, Fiero and I took out our KABAR knives, and charged at them. I went for Juggernaut, and Fiero went for Pyrotech. Juggernaut went for a right hook, but I grabbed his arm with mine, then delivered a few punches to his gut. After the third hit, he gave me a jarring head butt. Behind me, Fiero delivered an ax kick, hitting Pyrotech, who went for a powerful kick. Fiero dodged, then charged back in for a right cross. Juggernaut went in for a punch to my diaphragm, but I moved back, then slammed the hilt of my knife to his skull.

"Guess that answers that," I said. If there was one thing I remember, Juggernaut and Pyrotech tend to make mistakes when someone taunts them.

It worked.

Juggernaut, in rage, leaped straight at me. Me, I ducked, and pointed my blade upwards, impaling Juggernaut. I kept him in place before pushing him off. Behind me, Fiero did the same thing.

"Now tell us, what is your mission here?" I asked, knowing I had little time left.

"We were supposed to take you two down, for you both hold information dangerous if used against us, but our other mission is done," he said.

"What is it?"

Juggernaut coughed out blood, then said, "We were just the distraction." After that, he died.

I looked at Fiero, and his face told me that Pyrotech also died. A thought then struck me.

"Where are Ichika and Houki?"

**_Normal POV_**

The girls looked around, and noticed for the first time that Ichika and Houki were nowhere to be seen.

"Miss Orimura, do you know where Ichika and Houki are?" asked Rin.

"I thought they were with you," she said.

The sounds of a radio then filled the air. Dante and Fiero shared a look, then went to Juggernaut. His radio was currently static. After pressing the button on the side, there was a voice.

"If you want to see your two friends alive, you will surrender to us," said the voice.

Dante and Fiero froze, recognizing the voice.

"Who is it?" asked Daniel.

"Predator," answered Dante.

**_End Chapter 13_**

**The personal squads for Ghost Storm will be gray and any color detail. The color of the details will be the main color of the higher up soldiers.**

**What is the proper term of a mini-gun preparing to fire? I forgot.**

**Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen: 3**

**One- Metallica: 1**

**Green Grass and High Tides- Outlaws: 1**

**Come with me now- Kongos: 2**

**Kryptonite- 3 Doors Down: 3**


	15. Chapter 14

**_Chapter 14: The Plan_**

"Who is Predator?" asked Chifuyu, in the office.

"Before I tell you who he is, let me tell something about Ghost Storm. There are four man teams in the organization. The one that attacked us was known as the Front Runners. There was Echo, Juggernaut, Pyrotech and Predator. Echo was the scout, Juggernaut the heavy duty, Pyrotech the explosives expert, and Predator is the leader, also proficient in melee combat. Together, they were the main force of Ghost Storm. Fiero and I were also part of a team. Our teammates were Heavy and Dusk. I was the stealth master, Fiero was the sniper, Heavy was the support trooper and Dusk was the Operative. We were known as the Operators," said Dante.

"So Predator is someone we should fear?" asked Daniel.

"Yes, very much. He has been known for his extreme brutality and sadistic nature," said Fiero.

"If he has my brother, he will pay," said Chifuyu.

"We need some eyes and ears to find them. Do you know anyone?" asked Dante.

"I know one," answered Chifuyu. With that, she pressed a button on her desk. Immediately after, a hologram of a woman with magenta hair, robotic bunny ears and a big dress appeared.

"Thank you for calling me. I will be there in fifteen," she said.

"Fifteen what? Minutes? Hours?" asked Dante, confused.

"Fourteen, thirteen," continued the woman.

"Oh," said Dante.

Now that he was aware, he heard a faint whistling sound that seemed to increase as the hologram counted down. It wasn't until she reached three when he realized something.

She was coming in straight from the ceiling.

There was a crash, and the majority of the room was filled by a giant carrot. Dante, Fiero and Daniel were confused by this, along with Dan and Ran Gotanda, who both came in at the request of Chifuyu. There was silence, then the carrot opened, revealing the woman from the hologram.

"HI CHI-CHAN!" she yelled out, immediately going for a hug at Chifuyu.

Chifuyu, in answer, held an arm out, keeping her away from her. "Tabane, I told you many times. Stop doing that."

"AND HOUKI, I GIVE YOU-"Tabane stopped when she realized that Houki was. "Where is she?"

"Gone. We need your help finding her," said Chifuyu.

"And Ik-kun?" Tabane asked.

"Same. We need your help looking for them," said Chifuyu.

"This is the creator of the IS? She acts like a two-year old," said Daniel.

"You learn to get past it," said Rin.

"Tabane, we need your help. We have an idea on where they are, but the data is encrypted. Can you decrypt it?" asked Dante.

"I can do anything. Give me the thing," she said, holding her hand out.

Dante gave her the encrypted data pad. "Be warned, it may take some time for you to-"

"Done."

Dante was dumbfounded. "How did you do it so quickly?"

"I'm Tabane, I can do anything," was her answer. "The call came from a plane, which is set to land soon. If you hurry, you can catch them before they land."

"That answers that. Now the plan," said Fiero.

Dante pressed some buttons on the data pad, and a hologram of the plane appeared. "Predator will be in the main room, which is on the second floor. Ichika and Houki will be held there for ransom. There is a conference room on the bottom. The plan is for me and Fiero to infiltrate from the conference room, then move our way up," said Dante.

"Alone?" asked Laura.

"That's the plan. If we bring anyone else, they may get suspicious," said Fiero.

"Unless the extra people are there to bring Ichika and Houki back, thus not arousing suspicion," said Daniel.

"If then, who would be insane enough to follow us in?" asked Dante.

"I will," said Laura, stepping forward.

"Same here," said Daniel.

"Alright, we got our team. Tabane, do you have anything for you to relay updates on the plane?" asked Dante.

"I can make something for you four. Give me a few minutes," said Tabane, already getting parts out of her carrot pod.

"What about us? Our friends are in danger," said Dan.

"I want you people to wait until the plan is a success. Dan, Ran, I will give you two passes to stay here until this ends. Classes will be suspended until Ichika and Houki are brought back safe," said Chifuyu.

"Fiero, bring some regular flash bangs. I don't want to risk the boom-flashers there," said Dante after the others left.

"I'll bring a box," Fiero said.

"Do you two have any knives?" Dante directed this question to Laura and Daniel. In response, two knives were nearly touching his nose. "That answers that question."

"Don't forget these," said Tabane, giving the group the small communicators.

"Testing, testing, one two three," said Dante.

"Hello there," said Fiero.

"I hear you," said Laura.

"Loud and clear," said Daniel.

"Do they work?" asked Tabane.

"They're perfect," said Dante.

"Alright. I'll drive you over to the airport. I'll leave Maya in charge of the academy until I return," said Chifuyu.

"Okay. We'll be outside," said Dante. After they left, the team split up, each going to different directions. Dante went to find Charlotte, hoping to talk to her before they leave. He found her on the roof.

"Hey Charlotte," said Dante, closing the door behind him.

"Hey Dante," said Charlotte, not moving.

He walked up to her and followed her gaze, which seemed to be nothing more than looking at the horizon. After a minute, he broke the silence. "Charlotte, when we come back, would you be willing to go on a date with me?"

She didn't answer at first, and Date thought she wouldn't answer at all. He was about ready to turn and leave when she said, "I'll think about it." She said this with a small smile on her face. Dante left the roof, also smiling to himself.

**_End Chapter 14_**

**Alright, First off, I know this chapter was fast, but it was supposed to build slight suspense for the next chapter. Second, Dante asking Charlotte out is similar to what happened to me today, so lucky me.**

**We are nearing the end of the Defender arc, and the next Omake chapter, where the winning song in the poll will be played. Get that choice in.**

**Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen: 5**

**One- Metallica: 2**

**Green Grass and High Tides- Outlaws: 3**

**Come with me now- Kongos: 3**

**Kryptonite- 3 Doors Down: 4**


	16. Chapter 15

**I know I said I was going to wait some time for this chapter, but I just couldn't resist. So, here you go.**

**_Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare- Mile High Club_**

**_Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3- Turbulence_**

**_Chapter 15: The Predator_**

Chifuyu stopped the car when she entered the tarmac. In front of her was a huge plane, seeming to rival the Air Force One in size (A/N: For those that don't know, it's the plane of the US president). Out of the plane stepped out Ghost Storm soldiers, these ones wearing gray and white. A noticeable difference is that they seemed to be holding more Kevlar on their person than most, the balaclavas seemed to be reinforced with leather, and metal stun batons, each as long as their arms, were holstered on their hips.

"We clear with the plan?" asked Chifuyu.

"Read it, smelled it, napped with it. We're ready," said Dante, popping his fingers.

"Alright. Once you go inside, it will be up to the four of you to protect Ichika and Houki, so please, don't fail," said Chifuyu.

"We won't instructor," said Laura, hiding brass knuckles underneath some gloves.

"Alright, see you four later." With that, the four man team exited the car, and after a moment of talking with the soldiers, which took some convincing for Laura and Daniel, entered the plane.

The inside of the plane was remarkably comfortable, with oriental carpeting lining the floors. The windows themselves were crystal clear, and through them, the four saw Chifuyu leave the area, watched by some soldiers.

"Keep moving," said one of the escorts.

They then entered the conference room, and with approval, they sat down in the velvet lined chairs. They waited until a group of soldiers came in, filling in the corners, and one stepped out, wearing the badge of a sergeant.

"You four will be held here until we reach the base, so get comfortable," he said.

"We will," said Dante.

They then felt a feeling of weightlessness pass by as the plane left the ground. When they reached a stable altitude, the soldiers let their guard drop.

Big mistake.

(A/N: Two songs can be played from YouTube. The first is Don't call me Shirley, from the Modern Warfare Soundtrack, and the second is Fired Earth Music- Man of Steel Remix. Your choice on which one can be played.)

Dante leapt forward, vaulting right over the table, pulled out two knives, and jammed them in the throats of the nearest soldiers. Fiero jumped backwards, and pulled out a suppressed pistol. He fired at the soldiers, taking them down with headshots. Laura slammed her brass-knuckled fist against the temple of the nearest soldier, and was met with a satisfying crack. She then pulled out her knife and threw it across the room, hitting another soldier between the eyes. Daniel grabbed the baton from a soldier, smacked it across his face to daze him, then slammed the metal part on another soldiers head. It crackled to life, and the soldier fell, dead. The other soldier on the ground met a similar fate.

All this, and it was only ten seconds.

"The second we exit that door, they'll try to outnumber us. We need to keep them at bay until we can get to the main room," said Dante, taking a pistol from a guard.

"Anything else?" asked Daniel.

Dante pulled the hammer on his gun, smiled and said, "Let's make this as awesome as possible."

"Dante, I forgot to mention. I made a breaching charge strong enough to destroy a door, but small enough to keep the pressure the same," said Fiero.

"Alright," said Dante, pulling out his knife, "Let's go."

With that, he kicked open the door.

(A/N: Now the song should be Don't call me Shirley)

**_Dante POV_**

"Get to cover!" I yelled.

I fired at the soldiers that were coming up. One tried to hit me with his stun stick. I duck, and using the short window of time, I jammed my knife in the back of his neck, killing him. On instinct, I used the corpse as a meat shield, and was met with the sounds of pistols firing. Dropping the body, I picked up his stun baton and began dueling two soldiers. Suddenly, I hit the soldier on my left in the leg, and while he was down, I slammed the baton into the other soldier's stomach. Grabbing his baton, I jammed both of them into their heads, and turned them on, roasting their brains.

"Brace!" I heard a soldier yell. Suddenly, I heard a loud bang, and part of the hull we were on fell out, exposing the bright blue sky. Some of the soldiers fell out of the plane immediately, while the rest were barely hanging on. I looked around and saw Daniel, Fiero and Laura on the other side of the plane. With a quick nod, we moved past the soldiers, and went to the second floor.

"There's an armory behind you," I heard Tabane said.

"Got it," I answered.

I picked the lock on the door, using a hair clip I took from Charlotte. With a small groan, the door opened. Inside, I saw rows of submachine-guns line the walls. I got an MP5 with a foregrip, Fiero got himself a Spectre, Laura got a P90, and Daniel found an AK-74u. We then moved forward, taking cover behind the seats. We exchanged fire with the soldiers until I heard one say, "The damn plane stalled! Grab on to something!"

Then a big feeling of weight loss went through the plane, and everyone was floating. Taking out my pistol, I fired at the soldiers killing a few, before we flew around again, hitting the ceiling. Despite the pain in my head, I killed the rest of the soldiers, before we slammed into the floor. After a second, I got up, and waited for the others to get up.

"How close are we?" I asked Tabane.

"Not far. One more hallway, and you reach them," said Tabane.

"Alright. Let's finish this," I told the others.

We ran into the hallway, and saw a soldier with a shotgun. Right when he was about to fire, a hail of bullets hit him. His shotgun, still prepared to fire, fired a shot when it hit the ground, incidentally killing a soldier behind him. Our path was now clear.

"There they are. Be careful," said Tabane.

"Fiero, plant the charge," I said.

"Here," he said, tossing the detonator to me. After that, he placed the charge in the middle of the door.

"You guys ready?" I asked.

"Ready," Fiero said.

"On your go," said Laura.

"Let's do it," said Daniel.

"Don't hit Predator, he's mine," I said, then clicked the button.

The door flew off its hinges, and everything seemed to go in slow motion. I saw a soldier using Ichika as a human shield, Houki tied up in a chair, and another door closing at the far end of the room. I aimed for the soldier's leg, and fired. He stumbled, dropping Ichika, giving us a clear shot. The sound of automatic fire filled the room, and the soldier fell to the floor, riddled with bullet holes.

"Clear," said Daniel.

"Alright, untie them," I said, going for the door.

"Thank you guys," said Houki as Fiero walked up to her with a knife.

"Don't mention it," said Fiero, cutting the rope.

"We owe you one," said Ichika, getting up off the ground.

"No, you don't," said Laura.

As I was trying to pick the lock, Daniel walked up beside me.

"I was wrong," he said.

"About what?" I asked.

"I thought that you and Fiero were going to destroy the academy when I came in, but after what you did, it was for a different reason why you came."

"It was a safe haven for us. For once, we belonged somewhere without anyone trying to kill us, and we made friends with people we just met. For once, all was good," I said.

"At least you belong somewhere," said Daniel.

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking up at him.

"The truth is, my IS was part of the American military, and I was an illegal immigrant. When I was given the offer to enter the academy, I did it to avoid the army, who were hunting for me," he said.

"I thought you were a part of them," I said.

"Not anymore. I'm a deserter, and a wanted man in the states," said Daniel.

"Well, for now, consider us your friends and allies," I said, getting up and extending my hand. Daniel, after a moment, grabbed it and we shook hands.

"Has the British girl been staring at me the entire time I was here?" Daniel asked suddenly.

"Oh, so you finally noticed?" said Houki.

The sound of laughter filled the room, and when it ended, I was finally able to pick the lock open.

"Alright, time to end this," I said, taking out the baton. I kicked the door open, and entered a room I haven't seen before. It resembled an arena, and here and there were wooden barrels and bottles on tables. In the middle of the room was Predator, who was holding two katana's.

"So you did come," he said.

"I never turn down a challenge," I said.

"Shame. You were never able to beat me during your time. What difference does it make this time?" he asked.

"This time, I have a reason to fight," I said, dropping the baton.

Predator, in his white soldier armor, pulled off the balaclava, revealing his blond hair and green eyes. "Then this shall be the greatest battle yet," he said, tossing me a katana. I caught it, and after a few practice swings to get the feeling of it, held it ready. Behind me, I was aware that they were watching me, hoping that I would win.

(A/N: Add in any battle music you can think of here)

Predator went for the first strike, pulling a downward swing. I parried it, and was about to follow up on it when I felt a fist against my chin, stopping me. I then tried to go for another strike, but he stopped it, grabbed my arm, and threw me to a barrel. Before I could get back up, he suddenly kicked me, the force of it sending me back at the barrel, breaking it. My back aching, I got up, remembering the rule of fighting.

_If you can't do it the normal way, use the environment to your advantage._

With that, I positioned myself in front of a table. Predator tried for another downward swing. I blocked it, but instead of parrying it, I leaned my sword down, also bringing his sword down. Before he could lash at me, I picked up a bottle and smashed it against his head, breaking it. He stumbled back, holding his head. Now slightly equal, we both charged at each other. The air was filled with the ringing of steel and sparks that occasionally occurred. Behind us, Fiero, Laura, Daniel, Ichika and Houki were watching with fear. Seeing an opening, I hit his blade on the underside, then spun quickly, going for a horizontal slash, hitting his sword, breaking his defense. Acting quickly, I uppercut him, grabbed another bottle, smashed it against his head, then threw him into a barrel, shattering it.

"Ugh, you learn fast," Predator said, shaking his head.

"I had a good teacher," was my answer.

"Indeed," he said, then tried to slice me into ribbons.

I was barely able to hold him back, and I was getting closer and closer to one of the windows. I had an idea, but it was risky. He tried to do a downward slash again, and I caught it with my blade. Reacting fast, I did a circular motion, bringing his sword with him. When it pointed at the ground, I suddenly thrust forward, my blade stained with his blood. After a second, I pulled it out just as fast, and there was a spreading crimson of blood on his uniform. He dropped his katana, put a palm to the wound, and after looking at the blood on his hand, said, "Impossible, the recruit doesn't beat the teacher."

"You've nothing to fight for. You were devoid of emotions, and that was your downfall," I said, picking up a sheathe.

"So it seems. You have done well, so I will tell you one more thing before I die. The King is planning on overthrowing Phantom Task, and with it, he will soon begin a massive invasion against the world, using his armies to annihilate anything that would oppose him," said Predator.

"Then we will stop him," I said, walking out of the room.

"My soldiers are yours now. Hurry and get out of here, I'm setting it to self-destruct," said Predator, already losing the light in his eyes.

"Let's go," I said, and we started going to one of the many escape pods in the plane. There was only one left, so we entered. With the push of a button, we were heading for the ground. I took one last look at the plane before it exploded in a massive fireball.

"You are at peace now," I said under my breath.

**_Normal POV_**

When the group returned to the academy, there was a massive celebration that lasted throughout the night. Even Chifuyu, who was always strict, joined in the celebrations, and ended up getting drunk, as with most of the teachers and Tabane. Daniel asked Cecilia out, who said yes, Fiero and Laura joined in a massive group hug, Ichika and Houki were dancing, Rin, Tatenashi and Kanzashi were already passed out, Dan and Ran joined Ichika and Houki, and Dante and Charlotte kissed under the moonlight on the roof. Dante decided to keep the katana given to him, in honor of Predator.

All was well in the academy. The former soldiers of Ghost Storm were reinforced with the soldiers of Juggernaut, Pyrotech and Predator, and the guard was slowly growing stronger.

But there was one thing left. Dante was told that the King was planning an invasion, and he wasn't ready to completely relax.

"Chifuyu," he said when the party started dying down.

"What is it?" she asked, somehow already sober.

"I learned some bad news during the attack. Ghost Storm is preparing to overthrow Phantom Task, and after that, they plan on a massive invasion against the world," said Dante.

"As much as I want Phantom Task taken down, Ghost Storm is a bigger threat. As much as I hate saying this, we must join forces with Phantom Task," said Chifuyu, opening a beer.

"I'll begin negotiations. For now, it's time to let loose," said Dante, walking away.

"Hold on, one more thing," said Chifuyu.

"What is it?" asked Dante. He was promptly hit on the head by an attendance book.

"It's Miss Orimura," she said, but she said it with a smile.

Suddenly, in the speakers, the familiar beat of the song _Macarena (Full Spanish Version) _began playing. Dante, along with everyone in the school, began dancing, the smiles lighting up the mood of everyone.

The peace couldn't last. But for now, they would make the most of it.

**_End Defender Arc, Chapter 15_**

**And that is it for the Defenders arc. I'm honestly surprised I made it this far. I never stick with anything, so this is a first for me.**

**I will now take OC's for three IS Guard soldiers, at least to provide romantic interests for Rin, Tatenashi and Kanzashi. Put in name, appearance, personality, likes, dislikes, if they were former soldiers for Echo, Juggernaut, Pyrotech, or Predator, and additional information. Those three will be ranked sergeants, just because I can. Here is a helpful hint: Echo primarily used assault rifles in his squad, Juggernaut used light machine guns in his, Pyrotech used explosives in his, and Predator used melee in his squad.**

**From Zero to Hero will be posted soon, with the prologue first.**

**Longest chapter in this story yet. Kind proud of myself.**

**Next chapter, the winning song will be played.**

**Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen: 6**

**One- Metallica: 4**

**Green Grass and High Tides- Outlaws: 5**

**Come with me now- Kongos: 4**

**Kryptonite- 3 Doors Down: 6**


End file.
